Trust My Heart
by Emiliana Keladry
Summary: Tony and Gibbs disappear while working on a case.  The problem is that Tony is keeping a secret from Gibbs that could quickly claim his life.
1. A Lie

**Trust My Heart**

_Tony and Gibbs disappear while working on a case. The problem is that Tony is keeping a secret from Gibbs that could quickly claim his life._

By Emiliana Keladry

Disclaimer: NCIS belongs to CBS, not me... I don't make any money from it or anything like that.

Author's note: I'm very excited about this story, Tony and Gibbs are kidnapped... Tony is hiding something. There will be lots of Gibbs/Tony and father/son moments. I will also try to include the rest of the team. I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think! :)

* * *

**Chapter 1 – With a Lie**

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo rolled over in his bed, looking at the flashing red lights on his digital alarm clock. It stated that it was 2:37 in the morning, that couldn't be right. He picked up the watch on his nightstand and saw that it was a little after four. His stomach turned and he moaned softly, putting the pillow on his face and trying to ignore the nausea. Tony thought that this feeling would end when he got over the flu, but it didn't. He was exhausted, but had trouble staying asleep. If he lay down for too long, it was difficult to breathe and he had to sit up. Sleep wasn't going to come anytime soon. Tony rolled out of bed, rubbing the sore spot on his chest and walked into the living room, dragging his blanket with him. He plopped down on his couch and turned on the TV. There was nothing interesting on, but he didn't feel like standing up and putting in a movie. He dozed lightly, unable to get comfortable.

Tony finally gave up on sleeping and got ready for work. He stood in the shower, letting the warm water wash away the aches in his body. Once he was dry, Tony contemplated what to wear to work. Instead of an expensive suit, Tony grabbed a pair of jeans and a checkered button-down shirt, something he was rarely seen in. He wanted to look like his normal self, but he just didn't feel like it. Tony brushed past his reflection in the mirror and had a small breakfast, not even finishing half of it. He drove to NCIS headquarters in silence. Almost to work, Tony suddenly noticed that his car was making a funny sound. His tire was flat. Tony got out of his car and threw his hands up in frustration as thunder rumbled and it started to rain.

After waiting for the tow-truck, Tony hailed a cab and stepped towards the putrid yellow vehicle. His step was a mistake. The man's foot went straight into a deep puddle of water, soaking his foot and the bottom of his jeans.

"Come on!" Tony grumbled.

He shook the water off his foot and got into the cab.

By the time Tony arrived at the bullpen, Ziva and McGee were already at their desks. Tony dropped his backpack onto the floor with a loud thump and fell into his chair, feeling the long night catching up with him.

"Good morning Tony," Ziva greeted, smiling at him.

"It's not a good morning for everyone."

"Are you alright?"

Tony didn't answer as he picked up the mail that was on his desk. He flipped through it and tossed it into a pile. McGee looked over at his partner, seeing the disheveled look of the normally pristine agent and frowned. Ziva had asked him a question, but he hadn't answered her. Tony's hair was messed up and his face was a little pale. Dark circles had formed under his eyes and it seemed as if he hadn't slept all night. He just looked plain sick.

"You look terrible, Tony," Tim spoke up.

"Thanks Probie. My car got a flat tire, then I had to wait for a cab, I stepped in a puddle and my sock is ruined," Tony retorted, lifting his foot and showing that his pant leg was still very wet.

"Sorry, I know how you hate puddles."

Tony nodded his appreciation and logged his computer on, feeling his sock squish into his shoe.

"Are you feeling alright?" Ziva inquired.

"I'm fine."

"You look a little under the weather."

He smirked. "Very funny. I just had a long night and a bad morning. I'm fine."

The two noticed the dismissal and didn't continue the argument. Tony turned in his chair and put his foot on his desk, slowly pulling off his shoe and peeling off his wet sock. He didn't notice Ducky enter the bullpen, gushing about some delicious treat he had put in the break room. Even Tony's ankles were giving him problems this morning. The medical examiner watched as Tony removed the wet material, hanging it on his lamp.

"Did you have another puddle encounter?" Ducky asked, smiling at the younger man.

"Yep, I think the puddle won this round," he hissed in pain.

Ducky took another look at the ankle and frowned. It didn't look right.

"Anthony, your ankle is swollen," he stated.

Before he could continue, Gibbs stepped into the bullpen. He took a sip of his coffee and smiled at the sight of his senior field agent hanging his sock over the lamp on his desk. Gibbs immediately noticed that he didn't look well. Ducky stepped up to Tony and tried to touch the exposed ankle, but Tony quickly pulled back and put his foot on the floor.

"Morning Boss."

"Anthony," Ducky tried again. "Do both of your ankles look like that?"

"I haven't noticed," Tony lied.

"Gear up. We got a dead marine. He was found in an empty swimming pool with no head," Gibbs announced.

McGee paused for a moment. He watched as Gibbs tossed Tony a pair of clean socks from his desk. Uncharacteristically, he didn't catch them and they fell to the floor. Tony leaned over and picked them up. When he sat up, he was absently rubbing the front of his chest. Gibbs didn't see him. He was focused on his computer screen. Taking a sip of coffee, Gibbs walked around his desk and saw that Ziva and McGee were waiting. Tony was trying to put on the sock and put the wet shoe over it.

"You up for this DiNozzo? You look like hell."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Gibbs nodded once and went to the elevator, followed closely by Ziva and McGee. Tony picked up his backpack and his shoe, deciding to put it on in the car. Ducky was still standing in front of him with a concerned look on his face.

"Anthony, I would like to check you over. Swelling in your ankles is not a common occurrence and is most likely due to an underlying cause. We shouldn't let it be ignored by your lack of interest in medical care. It would like to take a blood sample when you return."

"Ducky, I don't think –"

"I must insist."

Tony coughed into his hand, feeling the pain in his chest increase a little. "Alright, you can check me over when I get back."

Ducky watched as Tony walked towards the elevator and realized that Tony must be feeling like crap to admit that he needed to let Ducky look at him. It was going to be a long day for the young man. Tony sat in the backseat of the company car, not even complaining that Ziva got to sit in front. He pulled on the shoe, feeling that it was tight and agreeing that his ankle did look swollen. McGee gave him a concerned look, getting Tony's attention.

"You know this reminds me of a movie," Tony began detailing the cheesy black and white video that he had seen a few nights before.

He saw McGee's expression relax and he knew his plan was working to distract the younger man. Ziva groaned in the front seat and Gibbs smiled at his agent in the rearview mirror. Tony sighed, wondering how much longer he could keep this up.

* * *

_Let me know if you like it! Thanks!_

_Emma_**  
**


	2. A Pan

**Chapter 2 – With a Pan**

Tony took a picture of the headless body, lying at the bottom of the hotel swimming pool, as the rain poured down. Ducky was trying to cover up the scene before the evidence was washed away and was struggling due to the lack of his assistant. Palmer was stuck on jury duty. Ziva attempted to hold up a tarp, sheltering the older man and the body of the dead Lieutenant Morris Reed. Tony adjusted his hat, shaking some of the raindrops away from his face and adjusted his coat, pulling it tighter. Gibbs came over to him and gave him a knowing look, but didn't say anything.

"Any sign of the head?" Gibbs asked.

"Not yet."

"Why don't you check the dumpster around the back to see if the killer disposed of any of the evidence?"

"Yes, Boss."

Gibbs watched as Tony walked over, worried that the young man hadn't protested the disgusting task of dumpster diving. He noticed that McGee was glancing in the same direction and motioned for him to help out Tony.

Tony put on his rubber gloves, snapping them onto his wrists and opening up the dumpster. Instead of being greeted by the smell of rotting food and sewage, a man jumped out of the metal container, pushing Tony to the ground. He scrambled to his feet and started to run. Tony gasped, trying to catch his breath and hurrying to his feet, chasing after the man. He yelled for him to stop, stating that he was a federal agent, but there was no response. Tony could feel his heart pounding in his chest and it was getting even harder to breathe. He watched as the suspect leaped over a fence, leaving Tony in the dust. The young man couldn't move another step; he fell to his knees and heard the sound of McGee calling after him. With one hand, he rubbed his hand on his chest. Something was definitely wrong with him. Tim stopped beside him and quickly kneeled down.

"Are you okay Tony?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Probie. The guy jumped out of the dumpster and hit me in the chest. I'm just a little winded."

McGee took one look at Tony's face and grabbed his arm to steady him.

"You're really pale, I mean really pale. Do you want to me get Ducky?"

"No… I'll be okay. Just help me up."

"Tony," McGee protested.

"I'm fine McWorry."

McGee didn't say anything as he took Tony's arm and helped him to his feet. Tony bent over, taking a few deep breaths before standing up and giving McGee a fake smile. The two slowly walked back to the dumpster and picked up a bloody knife that the man had dropped. McGee bagged it and they walked back to where the rest of the team was working. Ducky was just putting the body into the truck and Gibbs was talking to the witness with Ziva. He came over when he saw them.

"What did you find?"

"We found a bloody knife with fingerprints and a possible suspect, but he got away," McGee answered.

Tony groaned internally. He didn't want to let Gibbs know that it was his fault the suspect got away because he was too tired and couldn't catch his breath. Strangely, Gibbs didn't ask why the man got away, just gave Tony a look over and realized what happened.

"DiNozzo, did you search the rest of the dumpster?"

"No Boss. I got distracted when the guy jumped on me."

Gibbs rubbed his hand over his mouth and turned to Ziva, who had just finished interviewing the witness and letting him leave. "You and McGee go back with Ducky. DiNozzo and I are going to search the dumpster for more evidence. And when we get back, Ducky will examine you, DiNozzo."

"Yes, Boss."

This day just kept getting worse. He was going to spend his day, dumpster diving and trying to find a needle in a haystack with Gibbs breathing down his neck. Tony also felt terrible and was exhausted. He needed to get some sleep and eat a little something, though he would probably throw up. He smiled at McGee and Ziva, heading back towards the dumpster. It was gonna be a long day. He pulled on the edge of his coat as the rain continued to come down and thunder rumbled in the distance. Tony watched as the truck drove past and he crawled into the dumpster, coughing slightly and rubbing his chest again.

For the next two hours, Tony dug through the stinky garbage and Gibbs bagged the items that he found. The rain didn't let up. Once they finished, Gibbs pulled the car around and loaded the evidence to take to Abby. Tony's entire body was aching and his cheeks were flushed. He wasn't sure if it was from the exertion or from the growing fever. Instead of driving to headquarters, Gibbs stopped in front of a small restaurant near the crime scene.

"What are we doing, Boss? Canvassing the restaurant staff?" Tony inquired.

"No, we're having lunch."

"But, we never stop for lunch during a case with a missing head."

"Just get out of the car, Tony."

The younger agent didn't complain. He followed Gibbs into the restaurant. It was dark inside with only dim lights hanging above the booths and grey colored walls. It didn't seem like a popular restaurant. There were no other people, except a waiter and a host. The host, a middle-aged man with shaking hands, led them to a booth and handed them a menu. Tony slid into the booth, breathing in the smell of greasy hamburgers and fries. It made his stomach turn. Gibbs ordered a ham sandwich and mashed potatoes. Tony stared at the menu and couldn't make a decision. Nothing seemed good and he didn't want to risk getting sick in front of his boss. He simply ordered the same thing and removed his wet NCIS jacket.

"I'll bring you your drinks," the waiter murmured.

Gibbs thanked him and turned his focus to Tony.

"What's going on Tony?" he demanded.

"Well, I'm sorry I let that guy get away. He hit me pretty hard and knocked me down. I blew it," Tony said, avoiding the real question.

"Tony."

"I've been staying up late, watching too many movies and not getting enough sleep. I think I'm just still a little sick from when I had the flu a couple weeks ago. It's nothing, really. I'm actually feeling better than I did this morning and I'm sure I'll be fine tomorrow."

"Tony."

He stopped, not wanting to lie to his boss any longer. Tony sighed, rubbing his face in his hands. He was saved by Gibbs' cell phone ringing. It was Ziva. She was calling to give them an update on the case and find out what they had found. Gibbs informed her that they were having lunch and would be back at the office soon. There had been no sign of the head anywhere. Their meal arrived and the waiter set it down on the table. Tony inhaled the scent of the meal and his stomach rebelled, but he managed to keep it down. He was sure that his face probably went extremely pale. Gibbs hung up the phone and took a bite of his sandwich. Tony picked up his spoon and moved the mashed potatoes around, not putting any in his mouth. Gibbs started to say something, but the waiter interrupted them.

"Here's your water. Sorry, I meant to have them out before your meal."

Gibbs didn't say anything and the man quickly scattered. He watched as Tony moved the food around, not even attempting to eat. _Ah hell, DiNozzo._ He was still lying. It was clear that Tony wasn't feeling well at all. He watched as Tony took a sip of his water, making a face at the cool liquid.

"Not hungry?"

"Not a bit," Tony admitted softly. "I'll just throw up if I eat anything."

Gibbs stood up and tossed some money on the table. Tony looked up at him with a confused look on his face.

"Come on, we're going to see Ducky. You look like hell."

Tony didn't say anything, but silently agreed. He pulled on his coat, noticing that it was suddenly really warm in the room. The younger man tried to stand up, but found it difficult. Tony was dizzy, and the room was spinning around him. He coughed, trying to catch his breath. His mind processed his mistake. The water had a bitter rusty taste to it. Someone had drugged him. Gibbs tried to pull him up, but Tony collapsed to the floor. He barely registered his boss yelling as Tony started to lose consciousness. Tony blinked, fighting to stay awake.

"Boss," he hissed.

He wanted to warn Gibbs, but he couldn't get the words out of his mouth as the pan slammed down on Gibbs' head and he fell to the floor. The last thing Tony remembered was being pulled towards the back kitchen before everything went black.

* * *

_Thank you for all of the lovely reviews for the first chapter! I hope that you liked this one!_

_Please review!_

_Emma_


	3. With Suspicion

**Chapter 3 – With Suspicion**

"What were you thinking?"

"I had to do something."

"You drugged a federal agent and hit the other one with a pan! You will certainly get put away for this."

"Me? You were the one that killed Lieutenant Morris because he cheated on you! If you could just learn to keep your business to yourself, we wouldn't have to worry about them. We can't keep them in the basement forever. Someone will come looking for them."

"We'll have to make sure that no one finds them!" the older voice yelled. "The younger one won't wake up for several more hours, but the older one could wake at anytime. Handcuff him with his own cuffs. I'll think of a way to take care of them."

Trying to control his shaking hands, the waiter shook his head and slowly walked to the basement of the creaky house. He slowly opened the door and slunk into the dark basement. The older man's head had stopped bleeding and he lay on the floor. His chest rose and fell in an even rhythm, so he was still alive. His name was Agent Gibbs and he worked for something called NCIS. It didn't make sense to him. The man's badge and weapon were upstairs. He slowly handcuffed the agent's hands behind his back and tied his legs with the rope on the floor. The younger man, Agent DiNozzo, didn't look well. He was very pale and his breathing was labored. The waiter simply handcuffed his hands in the front and tied his ankles and knees. Then he snuck back upstairs to clean the blood from his hands.

* * *

"Hey guys," Abby greeted, walking into the bullpen.

Ziva and McGee were both on the phone, arguing about something loudly. It seemed like they were having identical conversations, just a few seconds off. She sat down in Gibbs' chair and watched them. McGee hung up the phone first, but Ziva continued and a few seconds later, she was yelling something in Hebrew. Ziva slammed the phone down, cursing under her breath. Abby smiled at the assassin and noticed Tim doing the same thing.

"Let me guess… no luck on finding the head."

"Nothing," McGee answered, dropping his head into his hands.

"We are trying to contain a leak to the press about the deceased, but no one wants to listen. They are more interested in awkward winning stories!" Ziva exclaimed, throwing her hand up in frustration.

Timothy and Abby shared a smile, and then looked back the woman.

"It's not awkward. Award winning stories," Timothy corrected.

"Whatever. It does not matter. I cannot get them to keep the story quiet."

Abby returned to tinkering around with the things in Gibbs' desk before asking her next question. She picked up his empty coffee cup and threw it into the trash can. "Where are the Bossman and Tony?"

"They apparently stopped to have lunch after searching the dumpster for evidence. That was almost an hour ago. I assume that they will be here soon," Ziva answered.

"He was probably convincing Tony to allow Ducky to examine him," McGee added.

Abby frowned. "What's wrong with Tony?"

Ziva stood up and walked over to Abby. "Tony was not feeling well this morning, though he would not admit it. Ducky also noticed that his ankles were swollen when he removed his wet sock after stepping in a puddle."

McGee avoided eye-contact with the young woman, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable about what he had witnessed in the alleyway; Tony collapsing and struggling to breathe. He realized that he should have told Gibbs what happened. Gibbs wouldn't have made him search through the trash if he knew how sick Tony was. Abby stood up and moved in front of McGee's desk, locking eyes with him.

"Spill it, McTattle."

"Hey, only Tony is allowed to call me those names," Tim protested weakly.

"Tony isn't here, now spill it. How's Tony?"

"I'm not sure Abby. A suspect knocked him down and while Tony was chasing him, he suddenly dropped to his hands and knees, trying to take a deep breath and gasping. I tried to get Ducky, but he wouldn't let me. I should have insisted. I'm sorry Abby."

Abby stared at the dark sock hanging from Tony's lamp and felt her stomach drop a little. She hated it when her Tony wasn't feeling well and didn't want to just rest. It always made her think of Tony in the hospital with the plague, gasping for breath and it made her feel terrible. It was strange not to hear from Gibbs during a case, especially if he had evidence for her in his car. She pulled her cell phone out of her lab coat and dialed Gibbs. The phone rang six times before going to the voicemail that Gibbs never learned how to use. McGee and Ziva watched as she tried again and still got no answer. This time it went straight to voicemail as if it had been turned off. Abby called Tony's phone and it didn't even ring. It was… hinky.

"Have any of you heard from Agent Gibbs?" Director Vance asked, coming into the bullpen. "I have a couple of questions for him."

"He's not answering his phone," Abby reported.

"Trace his phone McGee."

"Yes, sir."

Ziva and Abby moved to stand behind McGee as he opened his tracing program and searched for the signal from Gibbs' phone. Nothing.

"Try Agent DiNozzo," Vance ordered.

"There's no signal," Tim announced.

"It's not like Gibbs and Tony to turn their phones off. Something is wrong," Abby murmured, wringing her hands.

"McGee, David; go back to the crime scene and find them. You call me with any updated information." Vance left the bullpen without another word.

Ziva hurried to her desk to grab her backpack as McGee stood up and holstered his gun. Abby stood silently, not sure how to help, but desperate to know where Gibbs and Tony were.

"Gibbs said that he was having lunch with Tony, but he did not say where," Ziva remembered.

"I'll start checking for restaurants in the area," Abby declared. "I'll call you with the details."

The two headed towards the elevators and Abby prepared to go downstairs. She froze, hearing the elevator ding and turned to see McGee looking at her from the elevator.

"Bring them back Timmy," she whispered.

"I will, Abs."

* * *

Gibbs blinked twice, trying to open his eyes and ignore the drumming in his head. It reminded him of the sound of bongo drums; Tony had commented that it sounded like that. Tony! Gibbs scanned the room, discovering that he was handcuffed and tied up in a strange basement that had leaking water somewhere due to the sound of dripping. He spotted his senior agent about ten feet from him. His face was still pale and small beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. Gibbs was relieved to see that he was breathing, though he hadn't regained consciousness. It must have been in the water, a sedative that knocked him out. Tony had taken a sip and he hadn't. Gibbs should have suspected that something was wrong with the waiter, but he had been focused on Tony's condition and getting him to Ducky.

"DiNozzo," he hissed, trying to wake him up.

No response.

"Tony!"

Tony didn't make a sound. Gibbs slowly tried to scoot across the floor, ignoring the pain of his handcuffs digging into his wrists. It wasn't an easy task. He managed to get close to Tony and tried to shake him with his hands. Tony still didn't wake up. Gibbs would have to wait until the drug in his system wore off. He sighed, pulling at the cuffs with no luck. He couldn't free his hands to untie his legs. The older agent continued to look around the room, looking for a possible escape. There were no windows, and only one lamp hanging over the empty workbench that provided any light. The door at the top of the stairs was closed and most likely locked. Whoever did this would pay for causing Tony harm and hitting him on the head. They must be lacking any and all intelligence. Gibbs glanced at Tony and suddenly wanted to touch his skin. His hands brushed Tony's forehead for a moment. The skin was damp and warmer than normal. Tony had a fever, a high fever that was climbing.

"Tony…"

There was nothing he could do, but wait.

* * *

_Thank you for all the reviews! I tried to finish this chapter yesterday, but I was having a slumber party with my seven-year-old sister. I was up late and I forgot that little kids don't sleep in. Aly was up, crawling in bed with me and tickling me at 7 am. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!_

_Please review!_

_Emma_


	4. Impatience

**Chapter 4 – With Impatience**

Tony slowly opened his eyes; the pain was bringing him to consciousness. It was difficult to breath and his chest was aching. He tried to lift his hand to rub his chest, but found that his hands were handcuffed. Everything quickly came back to him and Tony bolted to a sitting position. Gibbs was at his side, but his hands were cuffed behind his back. Tony tried to move, but it was difficult. He was dizzy from the remainder of the drugs in his system and nauseous. Gibbs noticed his discomfort, but he couldn't do anything to help him.

"You okay Tony?" Gibbs asked.

"What happened, Boss? I… feel terrible." Tony tried to take in a few even breaths, but he couldn't calm down.

"You were drugged, it's okay."

"My chest hurts…"

Gibbs scooted closer to Tony and tried to get him to lie down. Tony pulled his hands to his chest, using one hand to rub the left side of his chest. Ignoring the searing pain in his hand, Gibbs continued working on the handcuffs. A second later, he got it. The older man pulled his hand from the closed cuff, having dislocated his thumb to get it off. His wrist was bleeding and he couldn't put his thumb back into place, but that was not his priority. Gibbs needed to take care of Tony right now. Tony closed his eyes, trying to breathe in. The senior agent didn't know what was happening to his agent, but he had to keep him calm.

"Try to lie back down," Gibbs muttered.

"That makes it worse."

"Okay, let's lean you up against the wall."

Gibbs tried to drag Tony with his good hand, but the younger man refused him. He turned his head away from Gibbs, unable to take the nausea any longer. Tony threw up the contents of his stomach, feeling grateful when Gibbs supported him so he didn't fall over.

"Sorry Boss."

"Tony, it's alright."

Tony couldn't find the words to speak as Gibbs guided him back towards the wall and helped him lean back. Gibbs removed his jacket and tucked it behind Tony's head. Tony made a slight sound, seeing the blood on the collar of Gibbs' shirt.

"He hit you over the head with a pan," Tony assumed.

"I guessed that much."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Gibbs answered.

"Yes, it is. If you hadn't been worried about me… we would have noticed the waiter was acting strange."

"Do not blame yourself," Gibbs whispered in Tony's ear. "You just concentrate on feeling better."

Tony nodded, trying to concentrate on breathing and ignore the pain in his chest. Sweat dripped down his forehead and Gibbs wished that he could do something for the younger man. He touched his forehead with the back of his hand, feeling the heat radiating from his skin. He longed for a damp cloth to lower the fever and to comfort him. Gibbs gently eased Tony's coat off of him, whispering softly as he did. Tony closed his eyes, not able to see around the spinning and the exhaustion that fought to drag him under again. His heart was still racing. Tony attempted to move away from Gibbs, but his boss gently pressed his shoulders against the wall to keep him still.

"I've got your six, Tony."

"Never doubted that," Tony murmured. "Got a plan for escape?"

"I'm working on it. How about you?"

"First, I was thinking of tackling whoever did this and probably throwing up on him. But then I was thinking that we could just wait until Probie and Ziva came to get us, but… I'm not sure that is such a good idea."

"No kidding, DiNozzo."

Gibbs took a minute to untie his legs and remove the rope, tossing it to the floor. They would need some kind of weapon if their captors returned. Gibbs stood up and moved around the small basement. There was a wooden sawhorse in the corner with a lump beneath it, covered with a greasy rag. The agent lifted up the corner of rag and put it back down. He made a disgruntled sound, causing Tony to open his eyes and look at his boss. Gibbs moved out of the way as he pulled the rag up, revealing the head of their missing Lieutenant Morris Reed. He recognized the face from the portable AFIS image that McGee had shown him. Tony turned to the side, barely catching himself as he started to fall and began dry heaving. Gibbs dropped the cloth and rushed to his senior field agent's side.

"You okay?"

Tony nodded, putting his hands on his stomach as Gibbs helped him sit back up.

"I'm fine… guess we solved the mystery of the missing head," Tony chuckled, trying to hide his pain from Gibbs.

Gibbs sat down beside Tony, putting a hand on his shoulder. It was time to wait.

* * *

Ducky slowly entered Autopsy, having just gone upstairs to find Ziva and McGee to get an update on Anthony and Jethro. Night was falling and there was no new information on their location. McGee had been working in Abby's lab, too absorbed in his work to even notice the older man's presence. Ducky quickly decided against bothering him. The young woman was busy beside him, not speaking, though it was evident that she was upset about the disappearance of her two friends. He had checked the bullpen, but Ziva wasn't there and one of the female agents informed him that she wasn't in the restroom either. Ducky knew where she would be. The lamp at his desk was the only light in the room, casting an eerie glow across the empty tables and causing long shadows to fall upon her face. Ziva didn't say a word as Ducky sat down at his desk and smiled at her.

"I should not have let Tony go this morning," she spoke softly.

"It's not your fault, Ziva. Anthony was not feeling well and he is too stubborn to admit it, or give himself a chance to recover. I also could have stopped him. He's not on any medication that would cause his ankles to swell like that and since he's not pregnant, it must be something more severe," Ducky protested.

"I am his partner; it is my job to have his back."

"There's nothing else you could do. Please don't blame yourself."

"What am I supposed to do, Ducky?" Ziva demanded, pushing herself out of her chair and crossing to the first table, putting her hands down to support herself.

Ducky turned, not saying anything.

"I will not forgive myself if he is not okay."

Her voice was so soft that Ducky almost didn't hear her words. Ducky stood up and moved towards her, gently laying a hand on her shoulder and forcing her to turn around.

"Ziva, I assure that Jethro and Anthony can take care of themselves. Did Anthony ever tell you about the time that he was kidnapped several years ago while pursuing a lost marine?"

Ziva crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back against the table.

"No, I do not recall that case."

"It was one of Caitlin's cases in her first few months with NCIS. Anthony managed to save the captive, help him escape with his belt knife and get the woman to spill her story, admitting to the crime. He was a little banged up, but he was okay."

"I doubt that Tony was ill at the time, this is different," Ziva interrupted.

Ducky moved to stand beside her and leaned against the table.

"Jethro won't let anything happen to him."

"I hope you are right."

Ducky put an arm around her, hugging her gently. She returned the embrace, glancing up at the clock to see that six hours had passed and they still had no information on their disappearance. The autopsy phone rang, ringing shrill in the quiet room. Ducky gave her a light squeeze before walking over to his desk and answering the phone.

"Autopsy… yes, she's here… oh dear… I'll send her up."

He hung up the phone without another word. Ziva didn't speak as he turned to face her.

"That was Timothy. Local police found the car, along with Jethro and Anthony's weapons and badges… at the bottom of a river."

* * *

_Sorry for the delay in posting… it's been a bit of a rough week – writing wise. I received a horrible review on my book and I was rejected from a novel contest with another book. I didn't feel much like writing, but this chapter came to me tonight and I'm quite pleased with it! :) _

_Oh, and I missed the new episode of NCIS tonight due to tornados in the area and the weather man interrupting. I got stuck watching a re-run of Law and Order SVU. Don't tell me what happened! :)_

_Thanks for reading! Please review! It would really make my day. :)_

_Emma_


	5. No Time

**Chapter 5 – With No Time**

"What happened?" Ziva demanded, trying to control her frustration with the situation and failing.

The officer made a face at her that could almost be seen as him feeling intimated by the woman. McGee stood close to Ziva, ignoring the rain as he questioned the local cop, who had discovered the car. Another team had begun to process the scene, taking photos and searching for other evidence. The two from Gibbs' team insisted on helping and interviewing those working the scene and in the area.

"We were searching for a lost kid, who ended up being at the neighbor's house and I saw the tire tracks. I called it in and we removed the car. After finding the NCIS badges, we called you guys. Sorry I can't be any more help."

"Thank you," Tim said, dismissing the guy.

Ziva focused her attention on the filthy car, holding the evidence bag with Tony's badge and gently running her fingers over the rough surface. Gibbs' badge as in the bag in McGee's hand. They were trying to process the scene, but the river had washed away any evidence on the outside of the vehicle. A tow truck was going to take the car back to base so they could examine it further. The police officer left them alone, wishing them luck.

"They would never leave their badges and weapons in the car," McGee stated.

"No, they must have been put in the car. I do not like this. As Abby would say, this is very hinky."

"I agree."

The two waited until the tow truck arrived and loaded the car. McGee observed Ziva's agitated behavior and decided that it was probably a good idea to get her away from the scene before she had an emotional explosion.

"Let's head back, I'll drive."

"Why do you get to drive?" Ziva asked.

Tim smiled at her and gestured towards the passenger seat.

"I don't want to experience your driving while you're this angry. We need to live to find Tony and Gibbs."

"Good point."

He was surprised that she didn't protest. They drove quietly back to base and escorted the evidence that they had so far to Abby's lab. The young Goth was hurrying around her lab and jumped on Tim when they entered the room. It took her a moment before she could calm down enough to give them the information that she had discovered.

"I finally got a match on the fingerprints on the murder weapon."

"Good job, Abby. How?" McGee asked.

"I thought you could not find the prints in any database," Ziva added.

"Well, I couldn't. But I decided to do a little more searching and I came across prints from a missing children's database in 1983 and I found a match. The fingerprints belong to Harold Kern; he was reported missing from his mom's house when he was six."

She brought up a picture of a scraggly young boy with a grumpy look on his face.

"I spoke to Lieutenant Morris's CO and he mentioned that the man was very close with a man named Harold. He did not ask and Morris did not tell," Ziva commented.

"A lover's spat… do you think he kept the head?" Abby mused, staring at the picture of the little boy and turning her head to the side as if she could tell something about him by doing that.

"How does this help us? If he is still listed as a missing person, how would we find him?"

"Great question. I did some more searching and found that he has an older brother named Thomas Jean Kern or TJ Kern as his record states. He's done time for battery, assault with a weapon, and second degree robbery. I also discovered that he owns a restaurant. The place has got terrible reviews from customers and violated a few health codes, but the restaurant is six blocks from our original crime scene. I have the address of the restaurant and his home."

McGee kissed Abby's forehead as she stuck a post-it note to his chest with the addresses. She smiled. Ziva thanked her quietly and the two ran from Abby's lab. The young woman turned to her computer and pulled up a picture that she'd taken of Gibbs smacking the back of Tony's head. The two were smiling at each other.

"Hold on guys, help is coming."

* * *

Gibbs tried to keep Tony calm, but he was only getting worse. Whether he was sitting up or lying down, Tony was having trouble breathing and he kept rubbing his chest. Gibbs had untied him, but couldn't get the handcuffs off his hands without injuring Tony and he didn't want to cause him further pain. Gibbs checked his watch, seeing that it was after nine in the evening. The younger man was dozing lightly on the floor. His fever had dropped slightly, but it was still too high. From upstairs, Gibbs suddenly heard loud footsteps and a raised voice. He gently tried to wake Tony.

"Tony, come on. Time to wake up."

"Boss?" Tony muttered.

"We've got company."

Tony tried to sit up, but the pain increased and the room was spinning. He felt like he was going to be sick again. Tony knew what was wrong; though he had tried to deny it… there was something wrong with his heart. It was too much for him. He gasped, and Gibbs quickly helped him sit up. Tony leaned forward, clutching the front of his shirt. It was his heart. Gibbs had realized the same thing, based on the symptoms that he could observe, though he knew it wasn't a heart attack. It was something worse. There was a loud clanking as a padlock was removed and the door at the top of the stairs opened. Tony tried to get a hold of himself, sitting up and focusing on the man walking down the stairs, holding a gun in front of him. Gibbs swore under his breath when he recognized the host from the restaurant.

"What the hell do you want?" Gibbs demanded.

"I see you got the handcuff off and untied yourself," TJ Kern laughed. "I'm not surprised, Special Agent Gibbs."

The man stopped at the bottom of the stairs and noticed that the rag covering the lieutenant's head had been moved. He stepped closer to Gibbs with a sinister look in his face. Wrinkles had aged him and not very gracefully. Gray hairs covered most of his head, blending into the brown ones. He was still dressed his work clothing, through mud was smeared on his shoes and pants.

"I see you found my brother's little trophy. Pity, that his poor boyfriend lost his head over this. He really should have just taken care of my brother like he promised."

"Your brother killed Lieutenant Morris?" Tony asked.

"I didn't say that."

"Why drug us? We were just having lunch. You try to kill all of your guests?"

"I saw your jackets, NCIS federal agents. I knew you were investigating the death of that bastard; one of you might have seen my brother jump out of the dumpster and run away from the scene."

Tony closed his eyes as his chest throbbed, and it felt like someone was stabbing him. He should have recognized the man that jumped on him, but he hadn't. It was his fault that they were in this situation.

"I already disposed of your ID, guns, and vehicle. Now, I just need to get rid of you. Harold and I are leaving town in the morning and your friends won't be able to trace us and no one will ever find your bodies."

TJ clicked the safety on the gun off at the same time the pain in Tony's chest became unbearable and he groaned, bending over and trying to catch his breath. Everything was spinning, but the sound of a gunshot was clear, ringing in his ears.

* * *

_Still nothing good, got two bad reviews from the novel contest. I'm taking a break from that kind of writing for now, but I'll keep writing for you guys. Your reviews always make me smile! _

_Thanks! Please review!_

_Emma_


	6. Little Hope

**Chapter 6 – With Little Hope**

Tony kept his eyes closed tight as he heard Gibbs gasp in pain and there was another loud sound as his boss jumped to his feet and the gun went off again. Tony's eyes opened and he could barely focus on the two figures wrestling; the weapon lying abandoned on the floor. Everything was hazy and spinning. He took a shaky breath, watching as their captor fell to the ground, dead. Gibbs had snapped his neck. The older man dropped to his knees at Tony's side. Blood trickled down his arm as he tried to get Tony to lean back into his arms.

"You're hurt…" Tony gasped.

"Don't try to talk."

Gibbs got him to lean back and held him against his chest, feeling his labored breathing and pressing two fingers to his wrist. Tony's pulse was much too quick for his condition; it was obvious that the contractions were causing him pain.

"Boss… what happened?"

"He tried to shot you and I wasn't going to let that happen. The bullet only grazed my arm, I'll be fine." He paused, taking a good look at his senior field agent. "We need to get you to the hospital."

Gibbs released Tony, leaning him up against the wall again. He approached the body and began searching his pockets for a phone. Nothing. Tony gasped, coughing into his hand and starting to fall over. Gibbs returned to his side. Without thinking any further, he picked up the gun and removed the clip. Tony didn't question Gibbs as he placed his hands on the cold floor, spreading the chain of the handcuffs out as far as possible. He watched as his boss slammed the weapon down on the chain, again and again until the metal shattered, finally allowing him to move his hands separate from each other. Tony lifted his right hand and rubbed his chest.

"Thanks Boss… so… tired."

"You can sleep later. Let's get out of here," Gibbs ordered.

"I can't… it hurts…"

For Tony to admit to any pain, Gibbs knew that it was beyond serious. He was about to say something, but paused. The sound of more footsteps came from upstairs, moving softly. Gibbs immediately knew that the dead man's brother brought back-up with him. He picked up the gun and replaced the clip, holding up the weapon and pointing it at the bottom of the stairs. The older man slowly approached the steps, waiting for the door to open again.

"NCIS, drop your weapon!" three voices shouted at the same time.

"McGee, David," Gibbs grumbled, lowering his weapon. "What took so long?"

"Sorry Boss. We didn't have a lot of work on."

"You are injured," Ziva commented.

There was a sick cough behind Gibbs and he quickly turned around at the sound of his name being uttered. For a moment, his relief had covered his worry for Tony, but it quickly returned full force. His agent needed him.

"Boss… I can't… breathe," Tony gasped.

Gibbs ran to his side, helping him sit back up and lean forward, placing his hand on Tony's chest to support him. McGee and Ziva hurried down the stairs and paused at the bottom, witnessing Tony's pain as he moaned and tried to lift a shaking hand.

"Probie… you're… late."

Gibbs put a hand on his forehead, feeling the hot and sticky skin. His fever had risen again. He needed medical care now. McGee tried to smile at Tony, but it quickly fell. Ziva took his hand, rubbing his fingers to keep the circulation in them. Tim pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and prepared to dial 911, to demand an ambulance.

"It won't be soon enough, we need to move him now," Gibbs declared.

"We will take him to Bethesda; I will call Ducky to have him meet us there," Ziva answered, standing up and moving to the other side of the basement.

McGee didn't move. "How do you want to get him to the car?"

"I'll carry him."

"Boss," Tim interrupted.

Gibbs knew that he didn't have the strength to lift Tony on his own and he nodded. McGee took one side of Tony and Gibbs took the other. On the count of three, they lifted him off of the floor with his arms over their shoulders and each holding a leg, cradling him. Tony groaned, beginning to panic. Ziva finished her conversation with Ducky and tucked her phone into her pocket. She went in front of the men, hurrying through the house and to the car, starting it up and turning on the heat. Gibbs snagged a blanket from the couch as he walked through the living room. It was dark outside and the night air was chilly, bringing a fine mist down upon them. Tony tired to talk again, but coughed, moaning and clutching the front of his shirt.

"Boss!" he hissed through his teeth.

"You're okay, I'm here," Gibbs comforted.

They set Tony on his feet outside the car. McGee wrapped the blanket around Tony and helped him into the backseat of the vehicle. Ziva was sitting in the driver's seat and for once, no one protested. She could surely get them to the hospital quickly. Gibbs sat in the back with Tony, letting the younger man lie down with his head in his lap. As soon as Tim was buckled up, Ziva took off at dangerous speeds towards Bethesda.

"Argh," Tony cried out.

Gibbs watched helplessly, wishing that there was some way to reduce Tony's discomfort. He adjusted the blanket, pulling it up as Tony shivered. The young man suddenly opened his eyes.

"_Ziva… pull… over_," he moaned, holding his stomach.

His anxious voice was enough to cause her to cut off two cars, pulling to the side of the road. Gibbs threw the door open, helping Tony sit up and supporting him as he heaved. He ran his hand soothingly along his back, waiting until Tony collapsed back into his arms and Gibbs pulled him back into the car, tucking the blanket around him again. He yanked the door closed and Ziva took off again towards the hospital.

Tony was in agony, tossing his head back and forth, trying to ignore the pounding in his head and his stomach flip-flopping. He slipped his hand out of the blanket and reached blindly. Gibbs took his hand and squeezed it. Tony's lungs burned from a lack of proper oxygen and he felt his heart racing.

"Boss… I can't… do this," the younger man whispered, so only Gibbs could hear.

Ziva honked the horn, cursing in Hebrew as McGee gave her directions. Gibbs squeezed Tony's hand.

"Don't ever say that, you will not give up," Gibbs spoke slowly. "I will not leave you, I'm gonna make sure that you're okay. You got that?"

Tony didn't answer. Gibbs gently tapped him on the top of his head to get his attention.

"Tony."

"I… understand."

Tony turned his head away from Gibbs, closing his eyes and trying not to cry out as the world was fading to black. He shivered again, feeling Gibbs trying to rub the warmth back into his limbs.

"Just hold on a little longer."

Ziva tried to concentrate on the road, but she was distracted by her partner in the backseat. Cars whirled past her in the lights and glimmers from the rain that now fell. McGee called out directions, but they were a blur. She knew her way to the hospital, having taken Tony a few times after his numerous accidents and failure to acknowledge that they were serious. He could take a gunshot wound and pretend that it never happened, but it was always a lie. Ziva glanced at Tony in the rearview mirror, seeing his pale skin and heavy eyes. Gibbs was rubbing his arms, and trying to keep him conscious. Her heart skipped a beat as she returned her attention the road. They were losing him…

* * *

_Another cliff-hanger! Yep. :) Thanks for all of the reviews! They really made me feel better and I will continue writing. I might just need to re-write one of my novels; it'll be a learning experience. Oh well, writing is about getting better._

_Please review!_

_Emma_


	7. Uncomfortable Chairs

**Chapter 7 - With Uncomfortable Chairs  
**

"Uh… Boss…" Tony gasped.

"It's okay," Gibbs comforted.

Ziva pulled up in front of Bethesda, slamming on the brakes directly in front of the doors to the Emergency Room. McGee jumped out and pulled open the back door. He helped Tony stand up, supporting him as Gibbs got out of the vehicle and took his other side. Tony groaned, coughing once and struggling to take in another breath. Gibbs lifted the young man, carrying him the few steps into the ER. Ducky was waiting at the counter and ran over with another doctor as they approached. A nurse brought over a gurney and motioned for them to put down him down. Gibbs gently placed Tony on the bed, holding onto his hand.

"Boss," Tony whispered.

"Jethro, what happened?" Ducky inquired.

"There's something wrong with his heart Duck, he's having trouble breathing and his heart is beating too fast. I tried to keep him calm," Gibbs reported.

"Oh dear."

Ducky looked down, seeing the blood on Gibb's hand and his dislocated thumb. He followed the trail up Gibbs's arm and saw the wound on the upper part of his arm. He wanted to bring it to his attention, but knew Gibbs wouldn't respond until he saw that Tony was getting medical care. Ziva and McGee rushed in the sliding door, just in time as Tony was about to be taken.

"Boss…" Tony pleaded.

The doctor pushed Gibbs back and Tony's fingers slipped from his hand. He disappeared through the ER doors, leaving Gibbs alone. Ducky motioned for a nurse to tend to Gibbs and he followed after the young agent. Gibbs collapsed into one of the plastic chairs, putting his head in his hands. A young blond nurse gently sat beside him, quietly asking if she could look at his wounds. He wanted to yell at her, but held his tongue, putting out his arm without speaking.

"It looks the bullet only grazed your arm," the nurse spoke softly. "We'll need to get an X-ray of your hand to see if the thumb is broken."

"It can wait for now," Gibbs hissed.

"Of course." The nurse wasn't fazed by his temper. "I can bandage your arm here. You'll need a few stitches to close the wound. I can give you something to numb your arm."

"No, just do it."

She nodded and went to get her supplies. Ziva and McGee stood frozen in the doorway, not moving towards the older man. Gibbs looked up at them and motioned for them to sit down. It was going to be a long wait. The nurse returned and cut his sleeve off to get better access to the wound. She cleaned his arm, carefully stitched up the wound and putting on a white bandage. He thanked the nurse, not making eye contact. Without speaking, the young woman slipped a few Tylenols into Gibbs' hand for the pain. He smiled once and then it fell.

"Are you Special Agent Gibbs?" another nurse asked a few minutes later.

"Yes."

"You are listed as Agent DiNozzo's next of kin and emergency contact. I have paperwork that you need to fill out while you're waiting. Just bring it to me when you're finished."

Gibbs nodded, accepting the clipboard and began filling out the information. He didn't want to continue, but he had no choice. Tony's medical information was extremely important and he was the only one that had witnessed what happened with Tony in the basement; his condition deteriorating. He finished filling out the paperwork and returned to his seat. The doors to the hospital opened and Abby ran inside. She saw them and froze. Gibbs stood up and opened his arms, letting her run to him and embrace him. She sobbed softly on his shoulder. After a moment, she pulled back and he noticed that she was holding a cup of coffee. Gibbs took it from her hand, sipping the warm liquid.

"How's Tony?" Abby asked, finding her voice.

"We don't know anything yet."

"Gibbs, what's wrong with him?"

Gibbs sat down in the chair, feeling the exhaustion catching up with him as the adrenaline faded from his system. Abby took her place on the other side of him. Gibbs rubbed his face with one hand, deciding what to tell her.

"There's something wrong with his heart."

Abby gasped, covering her face as the tears pooled in her eyes trickled down her cheeks. Gibbs wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.

"He's gonna be okay, Ducky's with him. He'll take care of him."

Abby nodded, putting her head on his shoulder.

"Who is securing the crime scene?" Gibbs asked, looking at McGee.

"Ducky said that he would let Director Vance know what happened and send another team to secure the scene since Tony needed our immediate attention."

"He wasn't the murderer of our dead lieutenant. It was his brother –"

"Harold Kern," Tim interrupted. "Abby found his fingerprints on the murder weapon. He apparently was reported missing as a child and no one has heard from him since. I put a BOLO out on him, but I haven't heard anything yet."

Gibbs nodded once, focusing his gaze where Tony had disappeared. Now they had to wait. McGee dozed lightly in the chair as the hours passed. Ziva switched from pacing to sitting with her face in her hands. Abby didn't move, keeping her head on Gibbs' shoulder. Director Vance called once to check on Agent DiNozzo's condition and let him them know that he had secured the scene and the dead body was being transported back to NCIS. There was no sign of the brother yet.

Almost three hours passed with no news on Tony's condition. Finally, Ducky emerged from behind the ER doors, accompanied by a middle aged doctor with her hair in a bun. The group scrambled to their feet, seeing them coming. Gibbs stood up and stepped closer to Ducky.

"Jethro, this is Doctor Morgan Wilson. She's a cardiologist and will be Anthony's doctor while he's here," Ducky announced. "Doctor Wilson, this is Special Agent Gibbs."

"Sorry to be meeting you under these circumstances," she apologized, shaking Gibbs' hand.

"How's Tony?"

"Agent DiNozzo is stable at the moment; we've moved him to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. After performing an echocardiogram, we discovered that he has pericarditis; which is an inflammation of the pericardium, the sac-like covering around his heart. We've placed him on several different medications to combat the infection, but if it's viral, it won't help him. He has also been given some analgesics for the pain and a mild sedative to help him relax."

"What's the prognosis?"

"Pericarditis is a life-threatening condition. The next twenty-four hours will be crucial. I can't be certain until the inflammation in his pericardium decreases and we can get a better picture of the condition of his heart."

Gibbs could hear McGee gasp and Abby sniffed. There was no sound from Ziva, but he didn't turn away from the doctor.

"Can I see him?"

"Visiting hours are over, but I'll allow you to see him; only one person at a time. He's on the fourth floor in room 406. There's a fresh pot of coffee in the waiting room upstairs."

"Thank you."

Gibbs motioned for the group to go upstairs together and they rode silently in the elevator. Abby stayed close to his side. Ziva was first out of the elevator and went straight for the coffee. McGee sat down in a chair, finding that they weren't any more comfortable in this waiting room. He smiled at Abby as she sat beside him. Gibbs moved towards the young assassin, noticing that her hands were shaking slightly as she picked up the cup. She didn't speak as he came up close to her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am fine," Ziva lied.

"Would you like to see Tony with me?"

"No, Gibbs," she answered, turning to face him. "You go ahead and see him. I will wait."

He nodded, touching her shoulder once. It seemed like an impossibly long walk down the hallway to Tony's hospital room. At first, he couldn't bring himself to go in. A nurse left the room, giving him a soft smile. Gibbs slowly stepped into the room and took a look at his senior field agent. Tony seemed so small in the bed. The first thing Gibbs noticed was the clear mask on his face, helping him take in the needed oxygen. An IV was taped to his hand and there were small bandages around Tony's wrists from the handcuffs, which someone had removed. Several wires emerged from pale blue hospital gown, connecting to various machines that beeped in rhythm with his heart. Gibbs looked at Tony's pale face and slowly sat down in the chair next to the bed. He slipped his hand into Tony's and gave him a gentle squeeze. His heart ached for the young man and he couldn't help but think how he should have protected Tony better.

* * *

_Please forgive any medical mistakes, I've done my research but I'm no doctor. :) Thanks for all of the reviews! Hope this cliff-hanger isn't so bad!_

_Thanks again! Please review!_

_Emma_


	8. Bad News

**Chapter 8 – Bad News**

Gibbs flipped through the crime scene report, sitting quietly next to Tony's hospital bed. He'd been asleep for almost six hours and though Gibbs wanted him to wake up, Tony was still asleep. Nothing had changed with the condition of his heart and medications weren't having any affect on decreasing the swelling in his pericardium. Ducky had forced Gibbs to let the nurse X-ray his thumb and discovered that it was dislocated. Once it was back in the correct place, she had wrapped his thumb and wrist to give it support and allow it to heal for a few days. Gibbs fingered the bandage, noting the size of the swollen appendage. He glanced over at Tony and saw that his eyes were open. A second later, Tony started panicking and trying to pull the oxygen mask off his face.

"Hey, Tony. It's okay," he whispered.

"Boss…"

"Just relax, you're gonna be okay. Take a deep breath."

Alarms started going off and a nurse rushed into the room, followed by Doctor Wilson. The nurse gently pushed Gibbs back away from the bed.

"Agent DiNozzo, you're in the hospital, you're okay," Doctor Wilson announced. "I need you to calm down."

Tony continued to pull at the mask on his face, trying to remove it. It felt like he was suffocating and he was suffering with the plague again and unable to breathe. The nurse tried to put something into his IV, but Tony pushed her hand away and he sat up, disconnecting some of the wires. Tony reached out his hand for Gibbs, but the doctor pushed it down, trying to help him lie back down. Ducky entered the room, having heard the alarms going off. He saw Gibbs standing back from the bed and the torn expression on Tony's face. The older man approached Doctor Wilson and whispered in her ear to step back and let Gibbs calm him down. She hesitated, but moved back and stopped trying to tend to Tony. The nurse followed suit. Gibbs quickly approached the bed, taking Tony's hand. He helped the young man pulled the mask to the side, allowing him to speak.

"DiNozzo, can you hear me?"

"I can… I can hear you Boss."

"Listen to me, you're okay. I'm right here. I've got your six."

"Hurts..."

"I know," Gibbs murmured. "I know it hurts, but it's gonna get better."

Doctor Wilson couldn't believe what she was seeing. Tony's stats were dropping back to acceptable levels, his heart was slowing down and the young man was able to take deep breaths as his boss comforted him. She'd never seen a patient calm down so quickly. It was a testament to their relationship. Ducky promised that he would check up on Tony, ushering the two outsiders from the room.

"What's… wrong with me?" Tony asked.

"The sac around your heart is swollen. The doctor has you on some antibiotics and something for the pain, but she won't be able to see the damage to your heart until the swelling goes down."

"It's… still hard… to breathe."

Gibbs nodded and turned to the side, whispering in Ducky's ear. Ducky left the room and returned a moment later with Doctor Wilson. She gently removed the oxygen mask and replaced it with the nasal canula to help him breathe without suffocating him. Tony thanked her, his eyes drooping. Ducky left them alone, giving the two some privacy.

"Don't leave… me alone."

"I won't. I promise."

Tony tried to fight the sleep pulling him under, desperate to stay awake and find out more about his heart. He was frightened; terrified that he wouldn't wake up.

"It's okay Tony. Go to sleep."

"Okay…"

The young man let his eyes close. Gibbs waited until his breathing evened out before stepping into the hall and seeing Ziva waiting with Ducky. Her hair was pulled up into a rough ponytail and her clothing was wrinkled. It was obvious that the young woman hadn't slept since they disappeared and were rescued. Ziva leaned against the wall as Ducky told her a story about a young patient of his that had suffered some rare ailment, but she wasn't interested. The rest of the team had been told to go home, though he knew that Abby and McGee had returned to work to continue searching for Harold Kern. Ziva refused to leave the hospital. Gibbs stopped in front of her, putting a hand under her chin and forcing her to look up at him.

"Ziva, go ahead and sit with Tony. I need to get some coffee."

Ziva nodded once and tried to keep the trembling from her lips. Gibbs kissed her forehead and watched as she slowly walked into Tony's room, pulling the door closed behind her.

"Want some coffee Duck?" Gibbs questioned.

"I'd love to join you."

The two walked silently to the cafeteria. It was still early in the morning and the cafeteria was empty except for a few nurses and doctors sipping coffee to keep awake during the long night shift. One family member was sitting in a corner, crying softly. Gibbs got a cup of coffee and sat down at a table in the far corner. Ducky sat across from him, not speaking at first.

"What are his chances?" Gibbs asked.

"It all depends on the condition of his heart, which we won't be able to see until the inflammation decreases like Doctor Wilson stated. It should start to resolve in the next twenty-four hours. We just need to be patient, Jethro."

"I hate seeing him like this. There's nothing I can do."

"I will do my best to take care of him."

"I never doubted that, Duck."

Gibbs took another sip of his coffee and headed back upstairs to sit with Ziva and keep her company.

* * *

"How are you feeling Tony?" Doctor Wilson inquired, placing the stethoscope on Tony's chest.

He winced, feeling the cold metal touch his skin. Tony looked over at Gibbs standing in the corner with an exhausted looking Ziva. He smiled at them and returned his focus to the doctor as she listened to his chest. Despite the pain radiating from his chest to his shoulder, it wasn't really a change. He was still dizzy and lightheaded, though they were giving him fluids and medications in his IV. He'd been in CICU for a day now and wasn't improving yet. Ducky was concerned that the swelling hadn't decreased at all and his fever had returned.

"Just dandy…" Tony lied.

Doctor Wilson didn't answer, continuing to listen to his chest. She looked up at the monitor displaying Tony's stats. His blood pressure was low, but his heartbeat was up. The woman frowned, moving the stethoscope. Tony coughed, trying to draw in a full breath, but it hurt too much. Tony tried to move, wanting her to stop putting pressure on his chest. Ducky frowned and tried to calm him down.

"She's almost done, Anthony."

"Doctor Mallard, would you please take a listen?"

Ducky frowned, but took the offered stethoscope and listened to Tony's chest. He paused, hearing the same thing that Doctor Wilson noticed. Gibbs watched as the woman pulled out a temporal thermometer and ran it across his forehead, reading the display: 104.5. Ducky pulled up the blankets and checked Tony's ankles, seeing that they were still swollen. He moved Tony's hospital gown and saw that his abdomen was distended. Tony groaned in pain when Ducky gently touched his stomach. Doctor Wilson placed her hands on Tony's neck, finding that his veins were dilated. She paged a nurse as Tony fought to remain conscious. His breathing was suddenly extremely labored and his lips were turning slightly blue. Gibbs moved to his side, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze, trying to get his attention.

"What the hell is going on Duck?" Gibbs demanded.

The nurse came in and Doctor Wilson quickly gave her orders. "We need an urgent EKG, chest X-ray, and an echocardiogram, make a priority."

"What is going on?" Ziva asked, coming close to the bed.

Tony looked up at Gibbs, trying to squeeze his hand back. Spots were starting to form in his vision and he could barely draw in breath. The nurse removed the nasal canula and put the full oxygen mask on his face. Tony moaned as Gibbs ran his fingers through his hair to comfort the younger man, wiping his sweat away from his eyes. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he wasn't leaving Tony's side until he was okay. The young man tried to relax, but his anxiety was growing. Gibbs sat down in the chair, attempting to soothe Tony, but he wasn't having any of it.

"Boss… what's wrong… with me?"

"I don't know."

"I guess… my heart isn't that… strong."

Gibbs leaned in closer as Ziva sat down on the other side of him. "You are strong, just trust me."

* * *

_Things aren't exactly getting better… are they? Hmm… you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out! I was going to post this yesterday, but I wrote it late and I hadn't slept in a long time. I was all giggly and not spelling anything right. Hope there aren't a lot of mistakes in this chapter!_

_Also, I want to say a special thanks to Mysteryfan17! I am so appreciative that you always let me know what little typos I make in the previous chapters. Thank you!_

_Please review!_

_Emma_


	9. Campfire

**Chapter 9 - Campfire**

Tony kept his eyes closed, feeling that Gibbs was still holding his hand. He was done with the testing that they wanted and trying to rest a little. It was still hard to breathe and his fever wasn't helping his heart, but one of the nurses had given him a special cooling blanket to cool him down and keep him comfortable. Tony wouldn't sleep. He was too uncomfortable from the pain and opened his eyes to look at his boss. The young man smiled, seeing that Ziva was finally asleep in the chair next to him, though it was a light sleep and she wasn't doing her normal drunken sailor's snore. Gibbs had his eyes closed, but Tony knew that he wasn't asleep.

"Boss…"

Gibbs opened his eyes and smiled at him.

"Hey Tony, how are you feeling?"

"Like hell… did Ducky bring any results… back yet?"

"Nothing yet."

There was a soft knock on the door, startling Ziva awake and Doctor Wilson entered the room, accompanied by Ducky. She was holding a thick folder with Tony's medical records in it. Tony tried to sit up a little, but quickly gave up. Gibbs sat up straight, giving Tony's hand a gentle squeeze. Neither doctor spoke, unsure of how to break the news to Tony and his "family". Gibbs and Tony looked to Ducky, slightly comforted by the presence of the ME, but distraught at the silence in the room.

"Anthony is suffering from cardiac tamponade; it is a rare complication from the pericarditis. There is a build-up of fluid in the pericardia sac, which is putting pressure on his heart and causing more problems," Ducky reported. "It is life threatening, but can be treated by pericardiocentesis."

"What's that?" Tony asked.

"A long needle will be inserted in your chest cavity to drain the excess fluid from your heart. We will also be inserting a catheter port to drain the fluid until we can determine the underlying cause of the pericarditis and treat it," Doctor Wilson added.

Tony grasped Gibbs' hand harder; trying to understand what was going on.

"If we have your consent, we need to prep you right away. The sooner we can relieve the pressure, the sooner we can take a closer look at your heart and treat it. We'll give you a few minutes to discuss this, but not much longer."

Doctor Wilson left the room, giving them some privacy.

"Ziva, can you come with me please?" Ducky asked. "Let's get you something to eat."

"Of course," she murmured.

Before leaving, Ziva leaned over and kissed Tony's forehead. He gently touched her cheek before Ducky ushered her from the room. Gibbs didn't say a word. His hand was resting on his face, keeping the words from spilling from his mouth. This was Tony's decision.

"Let's do it," Tony whispered.

"Tony…"

"I know Gibbs… you'll stay with me?"

"Of course, Tony."

Tony looked up at the ceiling, blinking at the moisture forming in his eyes and trying not to let Gibbs see. Gibbs waited, not speaking until Tony was under control.

"If I make it…"

"You will," Gibbs spoke firmly.

"Okay… if I do–"

"Tony, you will."

Tony nodded once. "Can I stay with you when they let me out? I promise… I won't be annoying."

"DiNozzo, I wouldn't let you stay at your place alone. Why would you even think that?" Gibbs teased. "You will be staying at my place when you get out of here and I'll take care of you."

"Thank you," he whispered, trying to keep from choking up.

Tony sat up enough for Gibbs to wrap his arm around him, embracing the young man. Tony pressed his face into the older man's shoulder, giving himself a moment to hide his emotions. Gibbs rubbed his back. He waited until Tony broke the hug and he helped him lean back against the bed. Doctor Wilson returned a few minutes later with consent forms for Tony to sign and Gibbs to look over. Ziva returned with Ducky to wait with Gibbs as they prepped for Tony. Ducky tried to explain some of the process to Tony, but he wasn't interested in hearing the gory details of his procedure. He just wanted it done.

"You will be fine," Ziva whispered.

"Thank you Zee-vah," Tony chuckled, closing his eyes to mask his emotions.

She completely understood, putting a hand on his shoulder. About twenty minutes later, Doctor Wilson returned with another doctor to take him to the operating room. Ziva kissed Tony's hand before slipping into the hallway. Gibbs gently smacked the back of Tony's head, causing the young man to smile. There were no words to say that would calm him anymore. He'd be waiting for Tony after surgery. Gibbs watched as he disappeared down the hall and couldn't help but wish there was something more he could do.

* * *

Gibbs tossed away his cup of coffee. He had decided to spend a little time at headquarters, fill out some paperwork for leave, and find out if they had any information on the whereabouts of the brother. There was no paper trail or DNA evidence on the head that had been removed from the basement. Abby was still processing all of the evidence from the body. He looked across the bullpen and saw that McGee wasn't paying attention. Ziva had remained at the hospital to wait for Tony and call with updates. Gibbs had seen that she couldn't focus and wouldn't be any good at work.

"Hey… you okay Tim?" Gibbs asked.

"Sorry, Boss. I'm just distracted," McGee answered, glancing over at Tony's desk and quickly looking away.

"I know what you mean."

Gibbs moved his chair out from behind his desk and placed himself in front of the desk, motioning for McGee to do the same thing.

"Come on Tim, campfire… in honor of Tony."

Tim smiled and came out from behind the desk.

"What do we know?"

"Harold Kern was reported missing when he was six years old. There's no record of him until we found his prints on the murder weapon. Somehow, he's been living with his brother, but there's no evidence that he had a job. Harold was in a relationship with the victim, but it apparently ended according to his brother. We have TJ's credit cards tagged in case Harold uses them, but nothing yet. He disappeared."

"What about other family?" Gibbs questioned.

"Both parents are deceased. I'm still searching for other family, but I'm not having any luck."

Gibbs rubbed his chin. "What about the cook? TJ and Harold both worked in the front of the restaurant, but there must have been someone doing the cooking."

McGee pulled up an image on the plasma. "The chef's name is Peter Bunion. Agent Tyler interviewed him, but there wasn't anything suspicious about him. He does live two blocks away from TJ. It's possible that Harold is hiding out there."

"Good campfire Tim."

"Thanks Boss."

The two quickly moved back to their desks and went searching into Peter Bunion's records, soon discovering that he had worked in six different restaurants with TJ Kern, dating back to when Harold was only ten years old. Gibbs looked up how the parents died and wasn't surprised. Maggie and Willard Kern were murdered and it was an unsolved murder case. He was willing to bet that their two sons had something to do with it. He would have to call the detective from the case and find out the details of their deaths. The team that Vance had sent out to Peter Bunion's house called, letting McGee and Gibbs know that the house was empty, but there was evidence that someone left in a hurry.

McGee put out a BOLO on Peter Bunion, hoping that they would be able to catch him. Gibbs slammed his hand down on the desk in frustration, but brushed it off. They would get him before he hurt someone else. He glanced at his watch, seeing that two hours had passed since Tony went into surgery. Ducky said that it would take several hours to remove the fluid; they wouldn't be sure until they got into his heart. Gibbs rubbed his face and went back to work, looking for the phone number of the detective that investigated the double homicide. He was about to pick up the phone, when his cell phone rang. The caller ID showed that it was Ziva. He quickly answered. McGee waited anxiously as Gibbs didn't say a word, just hung up the phone and stood up.

"Let's go Tim," Gibbs ordered.

"What is it?" McGee murmured, picking up his bag.

"Tony's in cardiac arrest."

* * *

_Another cliff-hanger! I love writing them. I have a ton more people receiving alerts then reviewing, so please tell me if you like it! :)_

_Thanks!_

_Emma_


	10. Waiting Game

**Chapter 10 – Waiting Game**

Gibbs sat silently in the waiting room as nurses came and went, none of them giving him any information on Tony. McGee had left a little while ago, called to the scene of another murder. Lieutenant Morris's CO had been found murdered in the same way, most likely by Harold and Peter. They were cleaning up their loose ends. Gibbs observed a young woman sitting, holding an infant in her arms. She was nervously glancing around the room and wiping her tears away before they fell onto the little girl in her arms. A doctor approached her, whispering softly. The women burst into tears as it sunk in that her husband didn't survive. The baby started crying and Gibbs had to look away, feeling his own heart contract as he sympathized with her.

"Agent Gibbs?" Doctor Wilson mused, standing in front of him.

He hadn't even noticed her approach. Gibbs quickly sat up.

"How is he?"

"Tony's stable," she reported.

Gibbs took a deep breath and smiled, releasing the tension in his body and waiting for Doctor Wilson to explain what the hell happened.

"Tony went into cardiac arrest when we were finishing inserting the catheter. We managed to bring his heart back to normal rhythm, but his oxygen level was still dropping. To assist his weakened heart, we placed Tony on a ventilator to get his body the oxygen he needs. It decreases some of the pressure that his heart has trying to function while still fighting the pericarditis. We should be able to take him off the ventilator in a few hours once his heart adapts to the correct size without the fluid. Once that happens, we can take another look at Tony's heart and hopefully discover the cause of the pericarditis."

"Can I see him?" Gibbs interrupted.

"He's asleep right now, but you are welcome to sit with him."

"Thank you."

Gibbs made a quick call to McGee and Ziva, informing them that Tony was stable and he would give them more details later. His call to Abby was a little longer as she couldn't wait for details and forced Gibbs to tell her everything about Tony's heart. He slowly walked to Tony's room and stepped inside. It was disconcerting to see Tony in such a poor condition. His face was partially obstructed by the ventilator tube protruding from his mouth. His skin was so pale and still sweaty from the fever. Wires and a tube were coming out of his hospital gown where his heart was and he had another IV in the bend of his arm. One of his feet was sticking out from under the blanket. Gibbs saw that it was still swollen. He tucked it under the blanket and fell into the chair beside the bed, gently taking Tony's hand into his.

"Oh Tony," he murmured.

He listened to the hiss of the ventilator as it breathed for Tony. Gibbs found himself breathing in the same rhythm and falling into a light sleep. He woke up a little later when Ducky entered the room, bringing him a cup of coffee.

"Any changes yet?" Ducky inquired.

"No, he's still asleep. Is there any progress in finding out the cause of the swelling around his heart?"

"At this point, we believe that it was caused by a virus from when he had the flu two weeks ago. We still haven't been able to see the damage yet."

Gibbs nodded. "We'll just have to keep waiting."

* * *

Tony squeezed Gibb's hand as he coughed and they removed the ventilator tube from his throat. He closed his eyes, waiting until it was gone to open them again and look over at his boss. Gibbs gave him a gentle squeeze and smiled to reassure him. Tony coughed, finally feeling the burning in his lungs disappear with the tube gone. The nurse placed a nasal canula on his face and hooked it up. The young man tried to take a deep breath and found that he still couldn't. His heart wasn't better yet. Tony sighed. It was strange, not being able to feel the pain in his chest that had been plaguing him for so long. They must have had him on some good drugs. The nurse prepared to take him to have another echocardiogram. He coughed again, feeling how dry his mouth was. Gibbs noticed the movement and helped him take a little sip of water, easing the irritation.

"Thanks Dad…" he mumbled.

"You're welcome Tony. How are you feeling?"

"I feel… like… Iron Man with that thing in his chest…"

Gibbs gently smacked the back of his head. "You made me watch that. You are not Iron Man."

"Are you ready Tony?" the nurse asked.

"I could fly…" he muttered.

"Yeah, he's ready for you," Gibbs stated, running his fingers through Tony's hair before the nurse rolled him from the room. "I'll see you in a little bit Tony."

"Okay Boss… don't steal my cookies…"

Gibbs smiled as Tony made the gesture that he was keeping two eyes on his boss and the nurse removed him from the room. He saw Ziva and McGee coming down the hallway. They stopped in front of Gibbs, glancing in the direction that Tony had just left and didn't say anything at first.

"How's he doing?" McGee asked.

"They just took him for an echocardiogram. He was awake and breathing on his own," Gibbs answered.

"How long until we can see him?" Ziva inquired.

"Doc said it won't take more than half an hour. Let's get something to eat and you can catch me up on what's happening with the case."

They walked to the cafeteria as McGee informed Gibbs that they still had no location for Harold or Peter. All of the evidence from the case was being processed by Abby, who was extremely upset that she couldn't be at the hospital for Tony. There wasn't anything yet that could tell them where the two were going.

"We've tried finding other family contacts for Peter, but haven't had any luck yet," McGee said before taking a bite of his sandwich.

"We will find him," Ziva hissed angrily. "He will not get away with what he did."

Gibbs set his sandwich down and thought about what Ziva said. It wasn't that she was angry the two committed murder, but she was blaming Harold for kidnapping himself and Tony. Ziva accused him of causing Tony's heart problems and keeping him from medical care. With his good hand, he ran his fingers along the bandaged thumb, frowning as he remembered being in the basement with Tony, unable to help him. Gibbs reached his hand across the table, putting his hand on Ziva's.

"Yes, they both did a terrible thing, committing double homicide. But don't blame them for what happened to Tony in the basement. His heart problems." He whispered the last words to her. "I won't let anything happen to Tony."

"Thank you Gibbs."

"Now eat, you're not eating enough. And after Tony gets back, you need to get some sleep."

"We cannot. There is too much to do."

Gibbs smiled softly, silently agreeing with her. They finished eating lunch and went back upstairs to wait for Tony to return from his testing. A few minutes after they got back to his room, two nurses wheeled Tony's bed back into the room. He was humming to himself. Ziva smiled, stepping close to the bed once the nurse was finished connecting him back up and left them alone.

"Hi Zee-vah… you look very nice tonight," Tony giggled.

Ziva frowned.

"They gave him a nice dose of painkillers," Gibbs whispered, causing the other two to nod.

Gibbs sat down on the chair beside Tony's bed. The younger man looked over at him and smiled. He motioned for Gibbs to lean in a little closer.

"I have something… very important to tell you."

"What?"

"They put this goop on my chest and… did an ultrasound… I heard the heartbeat… and Boss, I think I'm having a girl. You're the father," Tony whispered loudly.

Gibbs chuckled as Ziva and McGee laughed, taking in what Tony had said. He grinned at his teammates, closing his eyes as he focused on breathing in and out.

* * *

_Sorry for the delay in posting! I was having a little writer's block, but it's hopefully gone now. :) Thanks for putting up with my evil cliff-hanger and all of the amazing reviews!  
_

_I had a reviewer ask a question and I thought that I would explain it here since more than one of you might be curious. The person wondered if an EKG was the same thing as an echocardiogram. Not exactly, EKG stands for electrocardiogram. An __**electrocardiogram (EKG)**__ is when they put little electrodes on the chest, legs, arms, and attach a host of wires. It shows the electrical activity in the heart at that moment. An __**echocardiogram**__ is an ultrasound of the heart that gives the doctor a clearer picture of what the heart looks like and you can get more data from it. I hope that makes sense! I'm not a doctor, but you are welcome to ask questions. :)_

_Please review! (You owe me for not giving you a cliff-hanger. *wink, wink*)_

_Thanks!_

_Emma_


	11. Nightmare

**Chapter 11 - Nightmare**

"His fever has spiked," Doctor Wilson informed Gibbs. "His body is trying to fight the infection. As of right now, his heart is dealing with the stress and the fluid is still slowly draining from his catheter port. There's not much we can give him since it's a viral infection. We simply need to let it run its course."

Gibbs ran his hand across his mouth, nodding once as he glanced in the room at the young man, clutching the stuffed farting hippo that Abby had brought him. She was still working on processing evidence and couldn't stay with him for very long. The doctor had called Gibbs into the hallway to talk about Tony's condition in private. He was getting better, but his fever wasn't breaking.

"We have a special cooling blanket helping to lower his fever for now. But we can't let him get too cold or it could actually worsen his condition. We are hoping that it will break within the next twenty-four hours."

"Thank you," Gibbs murmured, stepping back into the room.

Tony drew his gaze away from Abby and turned his head to look at Gibbs. The older man could see the beads of sweat on his forehead. He was shivering beneath the blanket. Gibbs sat down on the opposite side of the bed and picked up the cloth beside Tony, gently dabbing his forehead. Tony closed his eyes as Gibbs comforted him, relaxing under his touch.

"Boss… you make a nice nurse…"

"I told you. I'm not your type, DiNozzo," Gibbs stated, smiling despite his words.

"You wouldn't look good in the dress…"

"Tony," Abby whispered.

He slowly opened his eyes and turned to face her, giving the woman a weak smile.

"Yes Abby dear."

"I can't stay any longer. I have to go check on Major Mass Spec. There's still a killer out there and though I want to be here with you and make sure that you don't pick up any of the male nurses, I have to get back to work."

"I understand… I'll be okay."

Abby picked up his hand and gently kissed the warm skin. He gave Bert a little squeeze, causing her to laugh before she left him alone with Gibbs. Tony turned his attention to Gibbs. He moaned softly, closing his eyes.

"You okay Tony?"

"I feel terrible Boss… like the one time I was with the one armed man…"

"Wrong case again."

Tony blinked, looking at his boss. "Sorry, things are really fuzzy in my head… beginning to think that they gave me some memory agent to stop me from escaping."

"You wouldn't make it out of the bed. Too many wires and that tube in your chest would get pulled out."

Tony lifted his hand and placed it next the incision spot as he tried to crane his neck enough so he could see the catheter port that was draining the fluid from his heart. He touched the edges, pouting when Gibbs pulled his hand away, holding it in his.

"I wasn't gonna pull it out," he protested.

Gibbs just smiled.

"Won't be much company, I'm just gonna fall asleep."

"Ah, not that bad." Gibbs pulled a magazine out of his jacket that was titled Sniper Monthly. "I can catch up on my reading."

"I thought… you read magazines about boats."

"Only when I'm trying to keep McGee from talking my ear off in a plane. Get some sleep. I'm not going anywhere."

"You promise?"

Gibbs leaned in close. "I promise. Sleep Tony."

"Okay Dad," Tony laughed, trying to roll over and finding that he couldn't.

He waited as Gibbs readjusted his blanket and closed his eyes, slowly drifting to sleep and letting the dull pain pull him under.

* * *

_Tony lifted his head off his chest, finding his arms bound behind his back. He was tied into a chair, back in TJ's basement, but Gibbs wasn't there. The lamp from the work bench was shinning down on him and it felt like one of his movies. The pain in his chest was raw and pounding. He looked around, finding that he was dizzy. TJ was suddenly standing before him with a knife in his hand, blood dripping from the blade to the floor._

"_Where's Gibbs?" he questioned, finding it hard to speak from the pain._

"_I killed him."_

"_What?"_

_TJ lifted the knife, running his fingers down the smooth surface and getting the dark liquid on his fingers. He slowly stepped towards Tony. The younger man tried to move back, but quickly found the chair stuck to the floor and his strength was waning. His whole body was aching and it was getting difficult to breathe._

"_No, you didn't kill him," Tony hissed._

"_Yes, I cut his throat. He will never protect you again." _

"_No!"_

_TJ grabbed a handful of Tony's hair and forced his head up. Tony took in a sharp breath, gasping and trying to get control of the situation. He felt the cold blade being pressed to his neck, and the wetness from the blood. It hit him that it was Gibbs' blood staining his skin and the top of his shirt. The one man that took care of him when he was sick or injured and he was gone. TJ put his mouth next to Tony's ear. He could feel the murderer's hot breath on his neck._

"_I won't stop until I take all of them; Ziva, McGee, Ducky, Abby, and even Palmer. Then I will make you watch as I kill each of them and you will beg for death. I will cut you until you bleed to death, knowing that you caused each of their deaths."_

_He held up his hand in front of Tony's face._

"_It will be their blood on your hands."_

* * *

Tony gasped, sitting up in the bed as several alarms went off. His chest was aching and it was difficult to breathe. He was twisted in his blanket and dripping sweat. Gibbs was immediately by his side, taking his hand and trying to calm him down. A nurse entered the room with Doctor Wilson and tried to get close to the bed to examine him, but Gibbs quickly motioned for them to stay back and not try to approach Tony. They watched as Gibbs helped Tony lay back against the pillow.

"You're okay Tony. It was just a bad dream. You're okay."

"Boss," Tony wheezed, again trying to sit up.

"Lie back. You'll hurt yourself if you move."

"Hurts… it all hurts…"

The nurse slowly approached the bed and injected some medication into his IV to relieve his pain and calm him down. She backed up, seeing that Tony's stats were dropping back to normal and he was breathing a little easier. Doctor Wilson moved out of the room after the nurse. Tony felt the pain started to dissipate and he focused on Gibbs, desperate to get his attention.

"TJ said he would kill all of you… Ziva, McGee, Abby, Ducky… even Palmer."

"He's dead. He can't hurt them."

"Boss… he killed you, your blood was on my hands," Tony choked out.

"I'm right here. It was just a bad dream."

Tony started to calm down, trying to breathe deeply and realize that it just a nightmare. He felt his cheeks turn red from embarrassment. He was too hot and drenched in sweat. Gibbs waited until he was fully calm before asking the nurse back into the room. He stepped out into the hallway as they changed the sheets and his gown. It was painful, listening to Tony cry out in pain as they changed him. He pulled his phone from his pocket, feeling it vibrate. McGee was calling him.

"Gibbs."

"Boss, we have a problem," McGee's voice was shaky.

"What is it?"

"Ziva was attacked. Harold and Peter were waiting at her apartment. She's okay. Ducky is patching her up, just a mild concussion. They both got away. Boss, none of us are safe."

* * *

_I'm glad that you all liked Tony's line about being pregnant with Gibbs' baby! It was my ultimate favorite line to write! Very funny! :) And I am happy that it was helpful to know about the two types of testing that Tony underwent. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!_

_Thanks for reviewing!_

_Emma_


	12. Figures it broke

**Chapter 12 – Figures it broke**

Ziva sat next to Tony as he dozed lightly in the bed. The nurses had just finished changing the sheets and his hospital gown. He had sweat through them again. His fever was still refusing to break. Ziva dropped her head into her hands and she slowly lifted one hand, fingering the two butterfly bandages closing the cut on her forehead when Peter tried to take her down outside her apartment. He didn't stand a chance. She had clearly heard the bone in his arm break when she fought with him. Ziva had tried to catch him when he fled, but was disoriented from her head wound and she was beating herself up for not stopping him. Tony stirred slightly, opening his eyes. He looked around the room for a second before focusing on her and smiling.

"You're on protection detail," Tony stated.

Ziva paused. Gibbs had made it clear that he didn't want Tony to know that he was in danger. He wanted to make sure that he was constantly being monitored, enacting the buddy system with the team if they left headquarters. Gibbs was helping process the scene with McGee while Ziva kept an eye on Tony.

"No, I am just keeping you company."

Tony closed his eyes. "You're a terrible liar. What happened?"

"Nothing happened."

"Ziva, there's a cut on your forehead."

"I… tripped and fell, hitting my head… on the door."

"Bull," Tony groaned.

"Gibbs does not want me to tell you. He does not want you to worry."

The young man sighed, opening his eyes and looking at Ziva. He wanted to fight her, but he was too tired. Ziva slipped her hand into his, giving a soft sigh. Tony closed his eyes again, focusing on breathing and not the dull pain in his chest.

"Where's Gibbs?" Tony whispered.

"He is working at the moment."

"You tell him… that I wanna talk to him about this."

"I will let him know, Tony. Please just try to rest."

"Did the doc say how my heart is?"

Ziva smiled at him. "Better, but it will still be a little longer."

"Any chance that you want to spring me… get me out of this bed?"

"I cannot. Gibbs would kill me."

There was a soft knock on the door and Gibbs walked in with a frown on his face. "Yes, I would Agent David. And no Tony, you are not allowed to leave the hospital. McGee is waiting for you downstairs Ziva."

Ziva quickly kissed Tony's cheek and left the room, promising to return later. Tony lay silently, waiting as his boss took a seat next to the bed. No words were spoken between them as Gibbs flipped through the file in his hands, pausing at a few of the pages and keeping his eyes away from Tony. Finally, Gibbs dropped the folder onto Tony's lap, turning it so he could see the pictures. Tony lifted his hand, looking at the images of Ziva's apartment, the blood on the floor from her head wound. Peter and Harold had attacked her. He closed the folder in frustration.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Tony demanded.

"We have Peter in custody."

"What?"

"He tried to call his cousin for medical advice since Ziva broke his arm. McGee was able to trace the phone call. We're still looking for Harold, but we're hoping that Peter will give him up or I'll force him."

"Good job Ziva… figures she would break his arm… that's my little assassin."

Gibbs leaned forward.

"How are you doing Tony?"

"I'm fine… my ankles aren't swollen anymore… I don't look like a pregnant woman…"

"I was meaning to ask you about that. Why would you assume that your baby is mine? I told you that you're not my type."

Tony's face turned dark red as he remembered what he had told his boss while under the influence of some very good drugs. He had been convinced that he was having a baby.

"Boss, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. It was actually quite funny."

Tony looked away, until Gibbs stopped talking and picked up the folder. His strength was fading and he was exhausted. Tony hated that he was still so weak, but he had no choice but to listen to his body and close his eyes. The nasal canula was pinching his nose slightly and he picked up his hand, touching the plastic tube. Gibbs gently took his hand and moved it.

"Get some sleep. I'm not leaving you Tony."

"What if I have another nightmare?" the younger man murmured.

"I will be right here."

* * *

Gibbs took a sip of his coffee, walking down the hallway. There was a nurse standing outside Tony's room, talking with Doctor Wilson and Ducky. A blanket was being removed from Tony's room, but he couldn't see Ducky's expression. The medical examiner had his back to him. He rushed up to the group, noticing that they were preparing to move Tony from his room.

"What's going on?" Gibbs demanded.

"Nothing to worry about Jethro," Ducky spoke up, quickly calming the man's fears.

"Well, what is this?"

"Anthony's high fever has finally broken. He still has a low grade fever, but this is great news. And the swelling has gone down enough for them to do another echocardiogram and take a look at his heart. They were just going to take him now."

Gibbs nodded as the nurse wheeled Tony from the room. The young man was awake and smiling. Gibbs noticed that the nurses had changed his gown again and this time, it was a little pink around the edges.

"Hey Boss… I'm gonna get another ultrasound of my heart."

"Hopefully, this time you don't think I'm the father."

"I'll try to remember that."

Tony gave Gibbs a big grin as the nurse took him down the hall. The older man pulled out his cell phone and called Abby. It was time to let the team know the good news.

* * *

_Sorry that this chapter isn't very long. I had a difficult weekend; got two impacted wisdom teeth pulled and had a bad reaction to the medication, was severely dehydrated and almost had to go the emergency room. Not very fun at all. But, at least now I can say that I know what being knocked unconscious is like. I've never actually had an IV before or a nasal canula, which kinda smelled funny at first. And I got my first stitches, even if they are in my mouth and sore. The pain isn't too bad, but I am very tired. So please forgive any typos in the chapter._

_Hope you liked the chapter! Please review!_

_Emma_


	13. Never Cross an Angry Ziva

**Chapter 13 – Never Cross an Angry Ziva**

Peter sat silently with his hands folded on the interrogation table. One of his arms was tightly bandaged, obviously not by a doctor, and he had an extremely obvious black eye. Ziva hadn't let him get away unscathed. His face was expressionless and he hadn't moved since McGee had placed him in the interrogation room. Tim observed him from behind the glass, waiting for Gibbs to arrive from the hospital. He'd spent the morning with Tony. The door opened and Ziva slowly walked in, stepping right up the glass and focusing her attention on the face beyond the two way mirror. Peter shifted uncomfortably, almost if he could sense that the woman he had attacked was watching him.

"He does not seem like a killer, his hands are too soft," Ziva commented.

"Are you going to interrogate him with Gibbs?" McGee asked, standing close to her.

"Yes, I have much to say to him, though not all of it in English."

The door opened again and Gibbs stepped inside, holding the case file. He observed Peter in silence, taking in his nonverbal cues and lack of emotion.

"How's Tony?" McGee inquired.

"Good. Doctor Wilson is letting him sit in a comfortable chair beside his bed for a little bit today. Ducky's with him now." He took his eyes from the suspect and turned to face his agents. "Are you ready for this Ziva?"

"Yes," Ziva quickly answered.

Gibbs cautiously looked her over, taking in her tense shoulders and vacant expression. Ziva was incredibly angry with the suspect and he was getting underneath her skin. He put a hand on her shoulder before leaving the room and heading towards the other side of the glass with Ziva close behind him. Peter jumped slightly when the door opened and closed. It was clear by the sudden look in his eyes that he recognized Ziva as the woman he was supposed to attack and kill. They had arrested him with a small caliber gun on him, which had come back as stolen. Gibbs pulled the chair back away from the table and offered it to Ziva. She quickly sat down, pulling out the knife from under her shirt and clicked open the blade, holding it in her hands while balancing her fingers along the side. Peter swallowed, clearing his throat as he sat up a little straighter and attempted not to look intimidated by the deadly women with the weapon in front of him. Gibbs tossed the file onto the table with a loud thump. Neither agent spoke for over ten minutes. Gibbs kept his arms crossed, not making a sound. Ziva continued to twist her knife in her hands.

"What do you want?"

Ziva smiled at the quiver of fear in Peter's voice as he eyed the blade.

"Do you know who I am?"

"No…" Peter murmured.

"I am not someone you want to cross," Ziva whispered.

"You broke my arm!" the man exclaimed, finding his voice and remembering that she had injured him during his attempt to harm her.

"I will do more than that if you do not give up the location of Harold Kern!"

Peter cradled his injured arm against his chest, leaning back in the chair. Gibbs opened up the folder and tossed out a few of the gruesome photos of Lieutenant Morris and his CO. The man covered his mouth, trying to look away from the bloody pictures. Gibbs put out the picture of TJ Kern's dead body, sprawled on the floor. He watched as Peter couldn't even look at their faces and the blood. He would be easy to break. Gibbs slammed his hand down on the hard surface, causing Peter to jump and look over at him.

"Where is he?" Gibbs shouted.

"I don't know… we split up and I haven't heard from him."

"You received two phone calls from him before we caught you," Ziva stated, flipping the knife around in her hand in a rapid motion.

"Trace his phone! I don't know where he is!"

"It's turned off. We've got you on attacking a federal officer and our lab tech is working on connecting you with murder," Gibbs added.

"I didn't kill anyone!"

Gibbs picked him up from the chair and threw Peter into the wall, forcing him back and holding the collar of his shirt. Ziva stood up and moved over to them, holding her knife in her fist. Peter gasped, fighting to stay calm as he spoke the next few words that would tie the hands of NCIS.

"Harold told me that he won't stop until all of your team pay for killing his brother. You won't find him. He's got many hiding places and names. He killed his own parents when he was just a kid, with the help of his brother TJ. They killed them in cold blood. I doubt that this is the first boyfriend that he's killed because he tried to end it. Harold won't stop until all of you are dead and his revenge is served. You won't survive."

"Tell us where he is," Ziva hissed.

"No. I want a lawyer."

Gibbs released him and walked towards the door, slamming it behind him. Ziva waited as Peter turned to his seat, smiling at he looked at his own reflection in the mirror. She clicked her knife closed and slowly walked from the room, keeping her eyes on him. He would pay for what he did. Gibbs was waiting for her in the hallway, along with McGee.

"You did good," he murmured, pulling Ziva in and kissing her forehead.

"Thank you Gibbs."

"I'm proud of you. We'll find him."

She nodded, holding back the moisture in her eyes. Gibbs patted her cheek and headed down the hallway towards the bullpen.

"McGee, I want you to find out everything you can about Peter Bunion, last place of residence, work, known alias, kindergarten teacher's name. You find it. There's gotta be another way to find out where Harold is hiding. I'm not gonna sit on my ass until he comes after me."

"On it, Boss."

McGee quickly sat down at his desk once they reached the bullpen. Ziva stood silently in front of Gibbs' desk as he took his place, pulling out his cell phone to see if Ducky had called him while they were busy. Nothing. A part of him wanted to call and check on Tony, but it had only been an hour. He was probably sleeping again.

"What would you like me to do?" Ziva inquired.

"See if you can find out any more information on TJ Kern's past and find out if the dead parents owned any property that he could be hiding at."

"I will get right on it."

* * *

Tony leaned his head back in the comfortable chair that the male nurse had brought into his room for him to try sitting in. It wasn't the most comfortable feeling after lying down for so long. He was still attached to many wires and the catheter in his chest was slowly leaking fluid. The young man adjusted the nasal canula, wishing that he could pull it off, but he knew that it was helping him. It was still difficult to breathe at times and just moving from the bed into the chair was enough exercise that he was exhausted and falling asleep sitting up. Ducky was talking in the hallway with Doctor Wilson, leaving Tony alone for the first time in days. Tony licked his lips, glancing over at the cup of water on his bedside tray. It was too much for him to stand up and pick it up. Instead, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine the ways that Ziva could kill Harold with a paperclip once they caught him. His heart contracted painfully in his chest, causing the daydream to quickly end. Tony couldn't sit up any longer. He slowly pushed his fuzzy socked feet onto the floor. Ziva had brought him the socks, claiming that they hid his ankles and that his feet were too cold.

He placed both feet on the floor and tried to use his arms to brace himself enough to stand up and move back to the bed. Tony barely managed to stand up. He reached for the bed and noticed that a single white piece of paper, folded in half, was resting on the blanket. It hadn't been there a moment before. Gingerly picking up the paper, Tony read the four printed words on the paper.

_I'm coming for you._

Tony dropped the paper onto the bed as his knees gave out and he came crashing to the floor. Having heard the loud sound, Ducky rushed into the room. He quickly knelt beside Tony, pulling the shaking man towards his lap.

"What happened, Anthony?"

He couldn't find the words to speak, just pointed to the letter. Tony coughed painfully, trying to curl into a ball. His entire body was trembling and his breaths were coming in short gasps. A nurse entered the room and helped Ducky get the young man back into the bed, giving him a small sip of water. Once Tony was settled, the ME picked up the piece of paper, being careful to use gloves and read what it said. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, watching as the nurse held the oxygen mask to Tony's face, trying to get him to calm down and breathe evenly.

"Jethro, we have a problem."

* * *

_I've always wanted to try my hand at writing an interrogation with Gibbs and Ziva, so I hope that it was good! :) No reason for them to play good cop/bad cop. It was more like Angry Ziva or Angry Gibbs. I for one wouldn't want to cross either of them when they are mad. The tension is building again! Hope you enjoyed it!_

_Please leave a review!_

_Emma_


	14. The hell you will

**Chapter 14 – "The hell you will"**

"What happened to you Probie?" Tony asked.

Tony watched as Gibbs entered his hospital room, followed by Ziva and McGee, whose lips were slightly green and he was out of breath. It only took him a moment to figure out that his boss must have driven like a mad man to Bethesda. Gibbs had insisted on coming to see Tony as soon as Ducky called him about the note. Without speaking, he put on his gloves and picked up the paper, reading the haunting words. He quickly put it in an evidence bag and handed it to McGee.

"Take it to Abby."

"Yes Boss," McGee answered, taking the evidence bag from him.

Tony tried to push himself up so he was sitting, but Ducky gently pushed him back down. Ziva opened her mouth to say something, but Gibbs turned to her and spoke first.

"Get the hospital security footage and go with McGee. I wanna know who delivered this note and how he got into Tony's room with no one stopping him."

She nodded, leaving the room with McGee to head back to headquarters.

"I apologize, Jethro. I should not have left Anthony alone for a moment. Doctor Wilson wanted to speak to me in private and we were only down the hall for five minutes," Ducky spoke up.

"It's not your fault, Duck. I shouldn't have left him alone. We've got a killer loose and he's supposed to have an agent with him for protection detail," Gibbs muttered.

Ducky nodded, leaving them alone to give Tony some privacy.

"Boss, it's not your fault."

Finally remembering that Tony was in the room, Gibbs sat down in the chair next to his agent and looked him over to see if he had been harmed. There was a welt on Tony's arm from when he had fallen and he saw that the young man's IV had been moved to his other hand, having been yanked out when he collapsed to the floor. Gibbs glanced up at his stats, seeing that Tony's blood pressure was high and his heart rate was slightly elevated. It was clear by the look on his face that he was in some pain, but refusing to admit it.

"You okay Tony?" Gibbs asked softly.

"I'm fine. He didn't hurt me, whoever he was. I closed my eyes for a minute, but it was getting difficult to sit up in the chair and I was feeling a little dizzy. I got up to move back to the bed and saw the note. I wasn't hurt."

Tony wasn't saying how scared he was that Harold could have gotten that close to him and he had no one to protect him. Though Tony was starting to heal, he wouldn't have been able to put up a fight if someone attacked him or injected him with anything. It hurt to realize that he was helpless to protect himself.

"Until Harold is caught, Ziva, McGee or I will be with you at all times. When you get discharged from the hospital, you'll be staying with me," Gibbs ordered.

"Okay," Tony whispered, trying to keep the fear from his voice and failing.

"I'm sorry I left you."

"Don't apologize… sign of weakness Boss."

"Not in this case. I owe you an apology, take it."

Gibbs gently smacked the back of his head, causing Tony to smile and relax a little. Nothing could happen with his boss watching his six this time. He closed his eyes, focusing on breathing evenly and the dull hum of machines in his room. Tony felt Gibbs take his hand and give it a good squeeze, settling back in his chair to wait for the results from Abby and McGee about what happened. At least Tony seemed to be keeping it together, though he could see right through the young man's lies. He was stressed and Gibbs needed to keep his stress level down. A stressed body and heart wouldn't help him get better. A nurse entered the room, bringing Tony his lunch. Tony smiled at her, trying to flirt and quickly giving up, not having the energy.

"Red jell-O, flavorless mashed potatoes and a chunk of unidentifiable meat. I need some real food, Boss," Tony complained. "I could really go for a pizza right now. I'd even let McGee order it with pineapple."

"I don't think your stomach would be able to handle it yet."

"My gut can handle anything."

"I doubt that DiNozzo," Gibbs laughed. "You've thrown up on me before."

Tony blushed, picking up his jell-O cup to distract himself from looking at Gibbs. The older man smiled and let Tony eat in silence. He was concerned when his agent only ate a few bites of the jell-O, tried a little of the mashed potatoes, and barely touched the peas. Tony didn't even attempt to eat the unknown meat. It wasn't enough food to satisfy a toddler.

"You need to eat more than that."

"I can't Boss. Not hungry."

Gibbs picked up Tony's cup and handed it to him, helping him take a sip of the nutritional shake that the nurse had brought. Tony made a face, gently pushing it away from him.

"Uh, that tastes terrible. It's supposed to be the strawberry flavored one, but it just tastes like powder."

"You need to drink it," Gibbs ordered.

"Maybe later… I'm tired."

"Good ahead and get some sleep, but you will drink it later."

"Okay Boss…"

Gibbs picked up the magazine that he had forgotten a few days before and waited as Tony drifted to sleep. Tony opened his eyes and closed them several times, fighting his exhaustion. Gibbs held his hand, moving his thumb in smooth circles on his hand to calm him. After a while, it appeared that Tony had fallen asleep. He was surprised when he heard Tony's voice.

"I hate this. I'm weak as a kitten and I can't even protect myself."

"It'll get better. It's just gonna take time."

"I don't know how long I can keep doing this."

"You will keep getting better. I promise."

Gibbs waited for Tony to answer, noticing that he had finally fallen asleep. He waited a few minutes until he was sure. His phone rang softly and he checked the caller ID. It was an unknown number. Gibbs flipped open the phone and put it to his ear.

"Did you get my message?" a voice hissed.

"Who is this?" Gibbs demanded, raising his voice. He stood up and moved across the room.

"You know my name."

"You son of a bitch, I will find you Harold."

"He was sleeping in the chair. It would have been so easy to end his life, but I wouldn't have been able to escape. I'll find him when you aren't watching. You can't stay with him forever. I will find him and kill him."

"The hell you will!" Gibbs yelled.

Tony opened his eyes at the sound and stared at his boss, confused on what was happening. He tried to sit up, but couldn't.

"Next time I'll kill him… your Special Agent Tony DiNozzo will not survive."

The line clicked and went dead. Gibbs dialed McGee, who answered on the first ring.

"Hey Boss," Tim answered.

"McGee, Harold Kern just called my phone. I want you to find out where he called from and where that bastard is! Do it!"

Gibbs watched as the expression on Tony's face changed and went pale. He started taking shorter breaths. The older man sat down on the edge of Tony's bed, putting a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down as he listened to McGee.

"On it Boss. Abby and I were just about to call you. We searched through the security footage. A man looking like Harold Kern entered the hospital, and changed into scrubs in a utility closet. He then walked to Tony's room, but we can't see him put the note down since there's no camera in the room. Less than a minute later, he walks out."

"Damn, he got too close," Gibbs hissed. "Is Abby finished processing the note?"

"It's Harold's fingerprints Gibbs," Abby added. "The only other prints belong to Tony. There's a sticky substance on the back, but I haven't identified it. Major Mass Spec is still working on it."

"You let me know."

"I'll call the second I know. How's Tony?"

"Not good. You call me when you have something."

Gibbs hung up his phone before Abby could ask another question and distract him from Tony, who was getting even more upset. His heart rate was up and the monitors were beeping. Gibbs gently rubbed his shoulder, touching Tony's cheek with his injured hand.

"You're okay Tony."

"Boss… what did he say?"

Gibbs considered lying to Tony, but he couldn't do that. It would only hurt him more.

"Harold admitted to leaving the note. He threatened to kill you."

Tony gasped as he continued to panic. Doctor Wilson entered the room and pulled out the oxygen mask, placing it on Tony's face to help him breathe. A nurse entered the room, putting something in Tony's IV at the request of the doctor to help him relax. Tony slowly stopped fighting and went limp on the bed, looking over at Gibbs as he breathed deeply. Gibbs moved from the bed to the chair, keeping his eyes on Tony.

"I promise that he won't get near you," Gibbs murmured.

Tony nodded, closing his eyes as the drug that the nurse gave him put him to sleep. Doctor Wilson put the strap behind the Tony's head, making a decision to keep the mask on his face while he was asleep. The nurse cleaned up the uneaten food and removed them from the room. The doctor followed her after checking Tony's stats and determining that he was out of danger from his minor panic attack. Gibbs thanked her and sat silently beside the bed, running his hand across his face. There was no way in hell that Tony was gonna get hurt by that bastard.

His phone rang again; this time it was Ziva calling.

"Yeah Ziva," he answered.

"McGee traced the cell number. It is an unregistered phone, and not transmitting anymore. We cannot find him that way. How's Tony?"

Gibbs thought for a moment before answering. "He's fighting. Someone needs to be with him constantly. I want it to be you or me. I don't think McGee would pull a gun in a hospital room."

"Understood Gibbs. What would you like me to do?"

"Help Abby and McGee, we're gonna find him."

"I will. Call me if you need me to watch Tony."

"He's asleep right now, but I'll let you know."

Gibbs hung up the phone and held it in his hands, contemplating his next move. They had no leads on Harold's location. Peter Bunion wasn't talking and the other person, TJ Kern, was dead. He opened his phone again, dialing the number without hesitation.

"What's up Gibbs?" the voice asked.

"Tobias, I need your help on a case."

"You never ask for help," Agent Fornell stated. "There must be something about this case that you can't shake or threaten."

"We're looking for a man that killed a marine, murdered his own parents as a kid, kidnapped DiNozzo and I, and threatened my team. I could use all the help that you can give."

"Where are you? I'll come to you."

"Bethesda Naval Hospital," Gibbs replied.

"The hospital? Are you okay?" Fornell questioned.

"DiNozzo's having heart problems, but he's getting better."

"Geez Gibbs, when you have problems, you have problems. I'll bring two of my men for protection detail for DiNutso so we can get some work done. This is gonna be a fun one, I can tell. I'll be there in thirty."

Gibbs hung up and gave Tony's hand a squeeze. No one threatened his team and lived to tell about it. Gibbs was gonna catch him and he didn't care if the bastard lived or died.

* * *

_That was a very long chapter to write, so I hope that you enjoyed it! And you should definitely leave me a nice long review for it. :) It's gonna keep getting interesting. I wasn't intending on adding Agent Fornell, but we might as well add some alphabet soup to the case. Gibbs needs help and that's the only person he would trust. _

_Pretty please review? Thanks!_

_Emma_


	15. Baby Steps

**Chapter 15 – Baby steps**

"I'm not ready for this."

"Tony… it's been over a week. You're ready," Gibbs encouraged.

"Boss, I can't. What if my heart can't take this?"

Tony sat on the edge of the hospital bed with his bare feet dangling above the cold floor. He stared at the open door, holding onto the IV pole. Gibbs stood beside the bed, waiting as the nurse removed the nasal canula, promising to put it back on when he was finished. She left them alone, giving them privacy. The older man knelt down and slipped the fuzzy socks on Tony's feet. He stood up and helped Tony stand up.

"Wait a minute… I'm dizzy."

"It's okay. We're gonna go slow."

Gibbs helped Tony slowly take his first step in a long time. The nurse returned and moved the IV pole behind Tony, letting him walk with worrying about it. Tony took an unsteady breath and held tight to Gibbs' arm as they moved down the hallway. He tried to control the shaking in his legs and arms. Tony almost fell, but Gibbs held him up and whispered softly that it was okay. Ducky appeared at the end of the hall and smiled at Tony, inquiring if he wanted to sit down or walk back. He shook his head, unable to go any farther. The nurse went to get a wheelchair and returned after a minute, helping Tony sit down and guiding him back to his room. Ducky and Gibbs moved him back into his bed, making sure that he was connected to the oxygen again and his other wires were not twisted. Tony closed his eyes, exhausted from the short walk.

"You did a good job," Gibbs complimented, squeezing Tony's hand.

"Thanks Boss… does this mean… I can leave now?"

"How does tomorrow sound?" Doctor Wilson suggested, stepping into the room.

Tony smiled. "Really?"

"You'll need someone to supervise you until your strength returns and to make sure that you are taking your medication."

"He'll be staying with me," Gibbs spoke up. "It won't be a problem."

Tony's expression suddenly changed and Gibbs immediately noticed it. His first thought was that Tony was in pain, but he seemed okay. The younger man was worried. What if his heart wasn't ready to be on his own? He was still under protection detail with Gibbs. Fornell was working with Ziva and McGee, but they still hadn't found any leads on where Harold was hiding. Tony wasn't sure he was ready to go home.

"I'll prepare the necessary paperwork and Nurse Karla will be in a few minutes with your lunch. We can try another walk this afternoon if you're feeling up to it Tony."

"Thanks."

Gibbs watched as Tony closed his eyes, focusing on breathing so he wouldn't have to talk to his boss about what was bothering him. They were going to talk about it whether he wanted to or not. Nurse Karla entered the room with Tony's lunch, placing it before him and quickly leaving. Tony had snapped at her the day before when she refused to bring him normal food and he was really tired. Today's lunch was tomato soup, a fruit cup, and a slice of bread with fake butter spread across it. The nurse had given him the chocolate nutritional shake. Gibbs watched as Tony took a few bites of the soup and finished his fruit cup. He finished the toast with a frown on his face, but again didn't touch the nutritional shake.

"You need to drink it."

"I can't. It tastes terrible."

"Tony, you've lost weight. It's not healthy for you."

"Just give me a pizza and I'll eat all of it, I promise."

Gibbs smiled. "You still can't have that pizza yet. Maybe in a few days."

Tony pushed the tray away from him after taking a sip of the shake, making a disgusted face. He started to fall asleep. Gibbs picked up Bert from off the floor and tucked it under Tony's arm, eliciting a smile from the young man. He gave the hippo a squeeze and allowed himself to fall asleep. Gibbs knew that Tony would be more willing to talk about what was bothering him if he was awake. He thought of sneaking in a candy bar to cheer him up. Gibbs' cell phone vibrated once and he stood up, stepping across the room before answering.

"What's up Tobias?"

"Harold Kern tried to attack another member of your team, the least protected one."

"Who?" Gibbs asked.

"Jimmy Palmer, your autopsy assistant. He went to get some lunch with his girlfriend and Harold was stalking him. He called me, but by the time we got there Harold was gone. I have Palmer in the conference room, getting his statement, but I doubt it will help us Gibbs."

"Have one of your agents put on protection detail with Palmer for now. I'm running out of people. McGee is with Abby; Ziva is working the case when she's not here with Tony or watching Ducky."

"Not a problem. How's DiNutso doing?" Fornell inquired.

"Sleeping. Doc says he can go home tomorrow. He'll be staying at my place, so we'll need to have security around him at all times. Since Tony's still weak, he's an easy target."

"We won't let that happen. I'll call you when I have Jimmy's statement."

Gibbs hung up his phone and went back to Tony's bedside to wait.

* * *

Ziva waited as Tony changed into sweats and his favorite Ohio t-shirt in the bathroom. She sat quietly on the bed, feeling anxious about Tony being discharged. It was good, but it was putting him at greater risk. His heart still wasn't completely healed, and he was entering a more stressful environment. Harold could easily attack him, not that Gibbs would let him even get close. They thought Tony was safe in the hospital, but he wasn't. She would not let anything happen to Tony this time. If Harold tried to get close to him, she'd kill him with her bare hands.

"I'm ready," Tony grumbled, stumbling out of the bathroom.

She quickly stood up and stabilized him, sitting him down in the wheelchair that one of the nurses provided.

"Are you feeling alright?" Ziva asked.

"I'm fine. Just get me out of this place."

"I am surprised that you did not flirt with all of the nurses."

Tony smiled at her. "Didn't feel up to it. But if they give me any more of that pain medication, you are welcome to sit next to me and I can get some practice in."

Ziva rolled her eyes, covering his legs with the blanket to keep him warm. It was raining again outside and windy. Gibbs wouldn't want him to get a cold. Doctor Wilson came into the room, asking Tony if he was ready to leave. She pushed the wheelchair down the hall, followed by Ziva who was carrying Bert and a bag with some of his things that Gibbs had brought Tony earlier in the week to keep him company.

"Where's Gibbs?" Tony questioned as the elevator went down.

"He is having a conversation with Jimmy. Gibbs will meet us at his house," Ziva replied.

"Why's a conversation with the Autopsy Gremlin more important than me finally breaking out of the hospital?"

"He did not tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

The elevator dinged, letting them out on the first floor of the hospital. Tony noticed that there was clearly an FBI agent waiting by Ziva's car. Ziva didn't answer his question right away. Doctor Wilson pushed Tony through the double doors and stopped. His co-worker helped Tony stand up and get into her waiting vehicle. Doctor Wilson wished him good-luck and disappeared back into the hospital. As soon as Ziva got into her car, Tony continued where they left off.

"Tell me what," he demanded.

"Harold tried to get to Jimmy. He stalked him, but did not get close enough to harm him. Gibbs needed to talk with him and see what information he might have got from seeing him."

"Oh, alright. Let's go."

Tony tried to stay awake as Ziva drove slowly and told him about the developments in the case, but he couldn't. She gently woke him up when they arrived at Gibbs' house. McGee was waiting with Abby on the front steps. He came over to the car and helped Tony get out.

"Hey Probie," Tony greeted; smiling at McGee as he assisted him into the house.

"Hi Tony. Gibbs said to get you settled on the couch for now and you could watch a movie."

"Wonderful, but I have a better idea. I need a shower."

"That sponge bath from the nurse didn't make you feel better," Abby teased.

"Nope."

McGee helped him into the living room, eyeing the stairs that would take Tony up to the bathroom. He didn't know if Gibbs would want him to tackle the stairs yet. Tony pouted and Abby expressed that it would be okay. The Bossman wouldn't mind. McGee supported him up the stairs, stopping twice to let Tony catch his breath. Tony smiled when he saw that Gibbs had set out a clean towel for him and his bottle of shampoo from his apartment. He turned on the water as McGee went back downstairs. It was too much for him to stand and he sat down in the shower, letting the hot water run over him. He was out of breath from the stairs and his heart was pounding, making him feel a little ill. It shouldn't be like this. Federal agents are not weak and he was beyond frustrated. Tony dropped his face into his hands and released his emotions, letting them blend into the water.

* * *

_Not really feeling up to fixing any typos… it's gonna be a long week for me and I just want it to be over, this whole period of my life! Living with crappy roommates, not having a place to live for August, can't afford to live alone, hating my current roommate, being single while people around me are getting married and having a family, stupid family issues… it all adds up to a bunch of stupid. Maybe it's just the weather today or something. Not having a good day._

_Anyway, your reviews will most definitely cheer me up! And I'd like to apologize to Poohdog, I couldn't help but add that little Tiva moment. You know me. :)_

_Please review! Thanks!_

_Emma_


	16. Cowardly Tony

**Chapter 16 – Cowardly Tony**

Gibbs arrived at his house, finding Ziva sitting on the couch with her chin resting in her hands and looking distracted. Abby and McGee had called him to tell him that they were heading back to work and Tony was taking a shower. It wasn't a problem. Gibbs looked around the living room, not seeing Tony anywhere. He could hear the shower water running.

"How long has he been in there?" Gibbs inquired, dropping his jacket onto the edge of the couch.

"What?" Ziva asked, not having heard what he asked. "I am sorry; I did not hear your question."

"Are you okay Ziver?"

Gibbs sat down next to her, making sure to give her a little space, knowing that she wasn't always comfortable expressing her emotions. He waited silently, listening to the running water upstairs. Tony would be okay for another minute.

"I am fine."

"Ziva," he whispered. "I know when you're lying to me. Tony and McGee may not be able to tell, but I know you and you can always trust me."

Ziva nodded, blinking the moisture from her eyes. "I am worried about Tony… about his health and his safety. I do not want anything to happen to him again. And I am tired."

Gibbs leaned in and kissed her forehead, keeping his voice soft. "I know. We'll protect him and you are welcome to stay for dinner. I was thinking of letting Tony have a little pizza tonight as a surprise."

"He will like that," she agreed. "Thank you."

He gave her a moment of privacy as she wiped her nose on the tissue that he passed her. Gibbs wanted to ask about Tony, but Ziva was important too. It was clear that she hadn't been taking proper care of herself since Tony was hospitalized. He needed to make sure that she got some food into her body and some rest. After he checked on Tony, Gibbs would call Abby and make sure that she kept an eye on McGee, making sure he was eating and sleeping too. This case was draining his team, physically and mentally. Once Ziva got herself under control, Gibbs repeated his earlier question to her.

"I am not sure. He had been in there for at least thirty minutes, which is not unusual for him. Tony does like to take his time and he has not showered in a while," Ziva answered.

"Okay, I'm gonna check on him. You stay here and pick one of Tony's movies to watch."

Gibbs took the steps two at a time and emerged at the top, moving silently to the bathroom door. The only sound he could hear was the water pouring down. Tony liked to sing loudly in the shower when he was staying over, but maybe the presence of Ziva stopped him or his own exhaustion. Gibbs lightly tapped on the door and spoke his name. There was no answer. He tried again, this time a little louder with a bit more force behind his knocking. Gibbs put his hand on the doorknob and tried to turn it. He was surprised to find that Tony hadn't locked the door.

"Tony, I'm coming in," Gibbs announced.

He slowly opened the door, seeing Tony's sweats and t-shirt on the floor and the shampoo he had set on the counter was missing. Steam had filled the small bathroom, making it impossible to see his reflection in the mirror. The shower curtain was closed, but Gibbs could see that Tony was sitting at the bottom of the shower. Thinking that he was hurt, Gibbs asked him if he was okay and moved part of the curtain to the side. His heart broke at the sight before him. Tony was sitting still dressed in his boxers in the bathtub and his knees pulled to his chest as the water pelted him. The water coming from the showerhead was no longer hot or even warm. It was ice cold. Tony was shivering and his breathing was labored. Gibbs ignored his bloodshot eyes and turned off the shower water. He didn't speak as he helped Tony stand up and wrapped the towel around his cold body. Gibbs went into the spare room and returned with some clean clothes for Tony. He gave him a little privacy to change into his boxers and then he helped Tony the rest of the way. It never crossed his mind to demand why Tony had been sitting in the freezing water or ask if he wanted to talk. Gibbs knew that he needed to give Tony a little time.

"Do you want to get some sleep or watch a movie with me and Ziva?" Gibbs asked, keeping his voice soft and gentle.

"I don't want to sleep yet."

"Okay, but you'll have to deal with Ziva's movie choice. I let her pick."

Tony gave him a half smile. "As long as she didn't pick _The Sound of Music_, that's alright."

Gibbs walked him to the top of the stairs, putting Tony's arm around his shoulder to support him as they slowly began the trek down the uneven surface. He held tight to Tony when he foot slipped, keeping him from falling. The younger man gasped. Ziva came to the bottom of the stairs and Gibbs motioned for her to come up.

"Ziva," he whispered.

She quickly came up the stairs and put her arm around Tony's waist. The three walked down the stairs and settled Tony on the couch. Ziva pulled out Bert and placed the hippo next to him. Tony smiled, patting the space beside him. She sat down and flipped the television on, pressing play on the movie. Gibbs and Tony groaned as the black and white film began.

"What? I have not seen this movie in a long time," Ziva protested.

"The Wizard of Oz," Tony grumbled. "Of all the movies that you could pick, you pick the munchkin singing, evil witch killing, scarecrow burning, and cowardly lion terror in black and white and color."

"I like it," she laughed.

"It's terrible."

"Do not deny it. You own this movie."

"It was a bad decision."

"Aw Tony, just shut up and watch the movie," Gibbs spoke up.

"Yes, Boss."

Tony watched the screen as the film began and Dorothy ran across the barnyard, singing about rainbows and lemon drops and gum drops. Wait, wrong song. He leaned in closer to Ziva and whispered in her ear.

"If you start singing along, I will take your gun."

Ziva elbowed him, pushing him back a little. "You would not dare."

"Don't try it DiNozzo."

Gibbs gently smacked the back of his head, settling down on the couch beside Tony, holding a bowl of fresh popcorn. The young man smiled, hesitantly reaching towards the bowl.

"Can I have this?"

"No DiNozzo, it's for Ziva and I."

"Oh," Tony muttered.

"Ah, I'm just kidding. It's only got a little butter and you can have some."

Tony smiled, sticking his hand into the bowl and putting a few pieces into his mouth. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but think of his heart and tried to push the thoughts away. He rested his head on Ziva's shoulder, his smile fading at the movie continued. Instead of drifting to sleep, Tony actually stayed awake. Ziva and Gibbs enjoyed the movie, though they noticed that Tony didn't quote the movie like he normally would or annoy them with useless facts about it. Gibbs motioned for Ziva to follow him into the kitchen to clean up the popcorn mess. Ziva helped Tony lay down and stepped into the kitchen.

"What is wrong with Tony?" Ziva asked.

"He won't talk about it. I'm gonna order the pizza. I want you to keep an eye on him, make sure that he's okay."

"Of course."

"Don't let him out of your sight."

"I will not."

Ziva returned to the living room and sat down with Tony. He smiled at her, but it didn't seem like a real smile. They waited until Gibbs returned and Tony asked about the case. He listened as his boss gave him the same details that Ziva had given him in the car, but he still didn't hear them. The doorbell rang and Gibbs went to the door with his weapon drawn. The FBI agent outside opened the door, standing next to a terrified pizza delivery man. Gibbs took the pizza, paid the man, and closed the door after giving a piece to the agent outside.

"You hungry Tony?"

"Is that real pizza Boss?" Tony inquired.

"It's your favorite. You want some?"

"Do I ever. Thanks Boss."

Gibbs got a plate and gave Tony a small slice, not wanting to give his stomach too much that he wouldn't be able to handle it. After eating, Tony made a few late jokes about the movie, muttering if Gibbs would make a good Wizard of Oz and if Ziva would be a flying monkey before falling asleep. Ziva and Gibbs managed to wake him enough to help him climb the stairs and tuck him into the guest bedroom, making sure that he wouldn't get cold. Gibbs left the room, leaving the bedside lamp on, but Ziva paused in the doorway, watching the rise and fall of his chest. The older man came up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you think he will recover?" she whispered.

"Yes, once he stops being the cowardly lion and not talking to us. It's gonna take time Ziva."

Ziva nodded.

"Come on; let's have some dessert, my flying monkey."

She smacked him lightly as they walked back down the stairs, leaving the door open in case Tony needed them.

* * *

_A fun chapter to lighten up the mood… before more tension and adventure comes! Thanks for the continued support! I love that you guys love my story and can't get enough of it. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!_

_Thanks! Please review!_

_Emma_


	17. Deceived

**Chapter 17 - Deceived**

Tony rolled over in the bed for the second time and stared at the alarm clock. He tried to fall back asleep, but the pressure in his bladder was keeping him awake. He needed to get to the bathroom, but wasn't sure that he had the strength. It was after three in the morning and Gibbs was probably sleeping in his room down the hall. It wasn't going to go away, so he sat up and pushed his bare feet from under the blanket and set them down on the carpet. His steps were shaky as he moved into the bathroom, flipping on the light. Tony finished his business and washed his hands. He paused, letting the water run over his hands as he stared at his sick reflection in the mirror. It wasn't right. The young man turned off the water and removed his t-shirt. Tony lifted his hand and fingered the mark on his chest where the catheter tube had been inserted to drain the fluid from his heart. He blinked the moisture from his eyes, sliding to the floor and laying down on the small rug.

Gibbs woke up suddenly and rolled out of bed. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost six. He ran his hands across his face before walking down the hallway and peeking into the guest bedroom. The bed was empty. He tried to remain calm, stepping into the room and checking around the other side of the bed. Tony wasn't in the room, though the bed sheets were wrinkled. Gibbs started back to his room to grab his cell phone, but stopped when he saw that the light in the bathroom was on. Without knocking, he opened the door, seeing Tony lying on the rug without his shirt.

"Tony," he muttered, kneeling down beside him and touching his shoulder. "What are you doing?"

He rolled onto his back, groaning from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position. "I'm sleeping. Had to use the head and I didn't have the energy to go back to the bed…. Five more minutes."

"Come on, Tony… let's get you up."

"No, still sleepy…"

"How does some breakfast sound?"

Tony opened his eyes. "Can I have some real food again?"

"We'll see what you can stomach. But you have to get up first."

The younger man nodded, letting Gibbs help him stand up and put his shirt back on again. After that was settled, they walked downstairs and Tony plopped down on the couch, looking out the window at the sunshine pouring in. He saw a different agent walk past, still on patrol. Tony felt bad for the man that had been outside all night long and would continue to be on protection detail until Harold was captured. It wasn't fair. Gibbs came into the room with a bowl of Cheerios and a glass of orange juice, handing both to Tony.

"Where's my bacon?" Tony teased.

"Tony."

"Come on Boss, bacon with some pancakes and scrambled eggs."

Gibbs sat down beside him a minute later with the exact same breakfast, smiling at him. Except he had a cup of coffee instead of orange juice. He took a sip of the warm liquid before answering Tony.

"You just got out of the cardiac intensive care unit at the hospital, DiNozzo. I don't think bacon is on the list of approved food."

"It's not like I had a heart-attack."

"No, but your heart doesn't need any extra stress. You need to heal."

Tony frowned, taking a bite of the cereal and a sip of his juice. Gibbs smiled when he saw that Tony's appetite was improving and he managed to eat almost all of the cereal before setting the bowl down on the coffee table. He waited until Tony was comfortable on the couch, sitting quietly. They both knew what had to happen next, though neither wanted to say anything.

"You ready to talk about it?" Gibbs inquired.

"Talk about what?" Tony lied.

"You know."

"Boss, I – "

Tony was interrupted by a loud scream from the backyard. He started to move, but Gibbs pushed him back against the couch and ran to his lock box, pulling out his gun. A woman screamed again. Gibbs grabbed his phone and dialed the agents outside.

"Agent Grant, get in here and watch DiNozzo. Agent Tyler, what's going on?" Gibbs yelled.

The agent from the front yard ran inside as Gibbs headed towards the back, not watching for a response from Agent Tyler. He opened the back door, pointing his weapon outside the door. The FBI Agent was pointing his weapon at a young woman emerging from the bushes, partially covered in blood coming from a wound on her forehead. Blood was dripping down her arm. She stumbled and Agent Tyler caught her. The woman screamed again, sobbing loudly. He glanced over in Gibbs' direction, putting his weapon away. It was a false alarm. Gibbs picked up his phone and pressed the button, letting Agent Grant know that it was a woman, it wasn't Harold. He waited a minute. There was no response. Gibbs swore; running back into the house and into the living room. It was empty. The blanket on the couch that Tony had been using was torn and the dishes were scattered across the floor, along with the remainder of Tony's orange juice that he didn't finish. Tony was gone.

"Damn it!"

Agent Tyler came in after him, hauling the girl who was suddenly not crying and resisting him.

"Agent Gibbs, the blood is dry and there's no actual cut on her forehead."

The other man froze at the sight of the living room. He tossed the girl to the floor and she lost her balance, falling over. There was a hand sticking out from behind the sofa. Gibbs jumped over and saw Agent Grant lying on the floor with blood on his forehead and a needle sticking out of his arm. Agent Tyler let out a short sigh of relief, seeing that his partner was still breathing. He pulled out his phone and called for an ambulance. Gibbs ran out the front door and looked both ways, not seeing any sight of a vehicle moving or Tony. Harold had taken him and injured the agent supposed to be watching him. The girl was a diversion! Gibbs stormed back inside, putting his hands on the girl's shoulders and yanking her to her feet.

"Who are you?" he shouted, shaking her.

"Miranda Roth," she whispered, clearly intimidated by his angry.

"Where's Harold?"

"I don't know who that is."

"He's the one that kidnapped a federal agent from inside this room!"

The girl squirmed under his gaze. "I don't know his name. He paid me a thousand dollars to come up to the house with blood on me and scream. I didn't ask any questions."

"Handcuff her!" Gibbs ordered, pushing her in the direction of Agent Tyler.

Gibbs stepped into the kitchen, pulling his phone out and calling for Ziva. He leaned his hand against the sink as he waited for her to answer the phone. It was essential that they find Tony as soon as possible. Ziva answered the phone after three rings.

"David."

"Tony's gone. Harold got to him, paid a girl to distract us and took him."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment, but it didn't last long. Gibbs could hear Ziva moving around and picking up her car keys.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Put a BOLO out on DiNozzo, the kidnapping of a federal agent. Make sure that everyone is looking for him! Have McGee put his photo on the internet thing if it helps. We're gonna find this bastard. Let the Director know and he can send a team to process the scene. Agent Grant was injured and an ambulance is on the way. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Understood. We will find him Gibbs."

Gibbs didn't answer; he hung up his phone and threw it to the floor, shattering it. That bastard got to Tony in his home and he didn't protect him. It was all his fault.

Two hours passed before Gibbs made it to headquarters. When he arrived at the bullpen, Ziva was yelling angrily on the phone in Hebrew and McGee was sitting at his computer, typing furiously. Gibbs noticed that he was still wearing the same clothes as the day before. He had stayed all night and was working into the day with his team member missing. Gibbs set the remains of his phone on McGee's desk.

"Can you reboot it, Tim?" Gibbs asked.

"Sure, Boss."

"Anything new?"

"Nothing yet. Fornell says he might have an old family contact that he's looking into, but no promises."

Abby ran into the bullpen, rushing over and hugging Gibbs before he could say anything to her. He returned the embrace, kissing her forehead.

"We're gonna find him, Abs."

Ziva yelled something obscene in Hebrew and slammed down her phone. Gibbs looked over in her direction, making sure that she was okay. McGee suddenly stood up, almost knocking over his chair. He turned on the plasma; bring up a link to a live video from his email. Ziva came out from behind her desk, stepping beside Gibbs and Abby. At first the screen was dark and then a black and white image came up of a figure sitting on a chair in a dim room. The figure was handcuffed and a black bag was over his/her face. They would hear the person breathing in quick breaths and trying to talk, but they couldn't understand. A hand reached into view of the camera and removed the black cloth, revealing Tony. He was strapped into the chair and gagged. A bruise was forming next to his eye and he was struggling to remain conscious. Tony glanced around the room, trying to focus. The image disappeared and words appeared. _ His blood will be on your hands._

* * *

_Another horrible cliff-hanger! Please don't hurt me for it! :) It was great fun to write it! Harold is finally getting his revenge, but people really should learn not to mess with Gibbs. The second B is for bastard. And hey... if any of you are interested... you are welcome to read my blog and keep up with some of my writings and random stuff! The link is on my profile under "Homepage". :) Thanks again for all of the wonderful reviews! I love hearing from all of you!  
_

_Please review! And have a happy Easter! :)_

_Emma_


	18. Weak spot

**Chapter 18 – Weak spot**

_4 Hours missing…_

Tony tried to spit the gag from his mouth as he pulled at the handcuffs behind his back. Harold had overcome him and he hadn't the strength to fight him or to save Agent Grant. He couldn't imagine how Gibbs was feeling, probably blaming himself for leaving him alone. It was a terrible situation. Tony looked up as the door opened and Harold came inside, flipping the video camera back on.

"Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo," Harold announced, slowly walking around him. "You've worked for Special Agent Gibbs for quite a long time."

Tony tried to speak, but he could only groan. He was getting a little dizzy, trying to watch the man as he circled around him in the small space. Tony stared at the red light on the camera to keep himself from throwing up his breakfast.

"I honestly didn't think that he would leave you alone. The girl was such a dirty trick to play, but I enjoyed it. You really do get what you pay for with prostitutes; women will do anything for a little blood money. I didn't even have to sleep with her first," Harold hissed.

Tony didn't even look at him. Harold stood up again and began circling his prisoner again.

"I've thought of many ways to kill you, but they were all too quick. I want this to be a long and painful death for you, Agent DiNozzo."

He got in Tony's face, but the man refused to make eye contact.

"Do you have any family that will even miss you? Your mother is dead and your father denied you everything in life. I would be ashamed of you."

Harold straightened up again and continued his pacing.

"But I have other plans. I'm sure that your Timothy McGee will miss you. Or Doctor Mallard, your doctor. I would never have a medical examiner be my doctor, but at least he can do your autopsy without finding another person. What would you say if I tried to get closer to your lady friend… Agent Ziva David… I would love to hear her screams," he whispered in Tony's ear again.

Tony tried to look away, dropping his gaze to the floor and seeing that Harold's foot was directly in front of his. It was an opportunity that he couldn't resist. Harold began to whisper lies in his ear again and Tony slammed his foot down on his, causing the man to yell in pain and jump back away from the federal agent. He smiled, listening to his captor curse. It only lasted for a moment before Harold was standing in front of him again with a sinister look upon his tired features. He backhanded Tony without a moment's hesitation, causing him to moan as his head was whipped to the side. It stung. He could feel the blood on his lip, tasting the metallic liquid as he licked his lips.

"You will pay for that!" Harold yelled.

He grabbed a handful of Tony's hair, pulling up as hard as he could and forcing Tony to look him in the eyes. Tony let out a small gasp, trying to contain his reaction to the pain. He refused to give Harold the satisfaction of seeing his hurt. The man stepped behind Tony, still holding his hair and making his face visible to the camera. Tony felt the cold of the blade being pressed against his neck, but he didn't make a sound. Gibbs would be watching the camera feed, desperately trying to find him and he couldn't show his boss that he was afraid. Harold's breath was hot against the back of his neck. He took in a shaky breath, focusing his attention on the camera and winking, putting on a brave smile for the only man in his life that he could call "Dad" and actually love like a father. He only hoped that Gibbs wouldn't blame himself for his death. Tony closed his eyes, waiting for the moment to come.

"It won't be that easy Tony," Harold whispered. "I've been watching you and your boss, Gibbs. I know what he's trying to hide and though I would love to kill you right now, he's the one that killed my brother. He will pay for what he did."

Tony gasped as Harold pressed the knife harder against his exposed neck.

"You are his weak spot, Tony."

Harold dropped the blade to the floor and pulled out a black cloth, covering Tony's eyes with the blindfold. The agent couldn't see his attacker pull the needle from his pocket, but he felt the prick in his leg and the liquid burning as it entered his body. The room became warm and humid as he lost consciousness.

"I won't kill you yet. I intend to torture Agent Gibbs before I take everything from him by taking your life."

* * *

_6 Hours missing…_

McGee slammed his hands down on Abby's desk in frustration. He couldn't break the code that would give him the location of the video feed, projecting Tony's image onto the screen. Abby came up beside him, putting her hands on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

"We're gonna find him," she muttered, not even believing her own lie.

"Everything I try, doesn't work. I've seen some difficult codes, but I can't get into the live feed. Every time I get close I get booted from the system and a virus appears on my computer. It's impossible! We need to know now," he vented. "I can't let Tony down."

"You have to do this Timmy. We can't let this bastard kill Tony."

"Abs, that's not helping!"

McGee backed from the room, needing a small break from staring at the computer lines across his screen, endless ones and zeros not giving him the information that he needed. He went up to the bullpen to get his Nutter Butter from his drawer, seeing Ziva sitting at her desk as Agent Fornell spoke with her. They had a possible lead on the case, a location of the cell phone that Harold used to contact the prostitute who was still sitting in the interrogation with no one coming to speak to her. The older agent didn't speak, seeing the look upon McGee's face. They still didn't have a location for DiNutso. He simply handed a warm cup of coffee to Tim, letting him know that Gibbs was down in Autopsy. Tim thanked him and walked downstairs, carrying the hot liquid with careful hands.

Autopsy was dark, except for the light of the plasma screen upon the wall. McGee saw Tony strapped to the chair, blind folded with dry blood on his lip from where Harold had hit him. The feed had remained black for two hours after the first sight of Tony and then returned, allowing the team to see Harold taunting their team member and beating him before injecting something into his leg and causing him to pass out. Ever since, Tony hadn't moved. It was clear that he was still breathing by the rise and fall of his chest, but they knew nothing about the drug. Gibbs was sitting on one of the cold tables, not making a sound. McGee handed him the cup.

"Any luck?"

"Nothing yet. I can't get in. Abby's working on it. I just needed a moment to get away from it all," McGee replied, avoiding looking at the figure on the screen.

"What about Ziva and Fornell?" Gibbs asked, tearing his eyes away and taking a good look at his agent.

"They have a possible lead, a cell phone number from the prostitute that Harold hired to distract us. Miranda Roth is still waiting in interrogation."

Remembering something, Tim stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out Gibbs' new cell phone.

"I rebooted it for you."

"Thanks Tim."

Gibbs rubbed his hand across his face, feeling his anger waiting beneath the skin. Harold would pay for this and this time, he would not walk away. First he sent his pet Peter to attack Ziva, tried to get to Jimmy, and then he took Tony. An agreement with the devil would not save him. But for the moment, sitting in the dark and watching Tony being tortured wasn't going to save him. He took a sip of his coffee and got down off of the table and saw the frustration in McGee's eyes. His agent needed help finding Tony.

"I don't know anything about computers," Gibbs commented, startling McGee slightly. "You find him and I'll kill the bastard."

"Sounds like a good plan Boss."

There was a soft sound and Gibbs returned his focus to the image. Tony had moved, lifting his head off his chest with a groan. Gibbs could see that his agent was shaking, from pain or cold he couldn't tell and it made him sick to see Tony like this when he could do nothing. His breathing was labored and Gibbs could see him pulling at the handcuffs, agitating the skin and rubbing it raw. The older man had been proud when Tony stomped on Harold's foot, though it was a foolish mistake. He hadn't missed Tony winking at the camera, letting him know that he was okay. The younger man couldn't see that the camera was still live anymore and there would be no more signals. But it didn't matter. Just the fact that he was alive and breathing, Gibbs wouldn't stop searching until he found him.

"All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for good men to do nothing," Gibbs quoted. "Come on McGee. Back to work."

"Yes, Boss."

McGee rushed from the room with a renewed determination to catch the bastard holding his friend. Gibbs took another moment as Tony groaned in pain and shivered again. No one hurt his family and lived to tell the tale.

* * *

_I got some wonderful inspiration for the next few chapters and they are going to be tense and awesome! You'll just have to wait and see what's coming for that bast- evil Harold. Gibbs won't let him get away with anything, especially hurting Tony. Thanks for all of your reviews! They really encourage me to keep going and let me know that you like the story. :)_

_Let me know what you thought!_

_Emma_


	19. Crying

**Chapter 19 - Crying**

_8 hours missing…_

Ziva slammed her hands down on her keyboard, causing the computer to let off a series of beeps that only made her angrier. "_Leazazel_!"

McGee looked up across the bullpen at her exclamation, but didn't answer. The lead had fallen through; the cell number had only led them across the city, back and forth, changing position and only agitating Ziva even more to the point that Fornell didn't try to speak to her until they were back at headquarters. He glanced in Gibbs' direction as the older agent worked with Fornell on other possibilities for tracking down Harold. Abby was searching through the database of known fake IDs, hoping for a match that could trace them to a rental or house purchase that could give them a location. McGee was still working on trying to crack the video feed with no luck. He looked up at the image of Tony on the screen. He was asleep, but he was shivering. No one was sure if it was because Harold had lowered the temperature in the room or if he was in pain.

"Are you okay?" Tim asked after long minutes had passed.

"No, I am not!" Ziva yelled.

McGee stood up and walked over, seeing the problem with her computer. He motioned for her to stand up and let him sit down. Ziva threw her hands up in the air and stood up, preparing to move out of the way. Tim quickly caught her as she stumbled, dropping heavily into his arms. Gibbs pushed himself to his feet and hurried to her side, taking her from McGee and putting a hand on her forehead to see if she had a fever. Fornell called down to have Ducky come upstairs. Ziva kept her eyes closed as Gibbs held her and she tried to breathe normally through the dizziness. The older man gently put on the ground, holding her on his lap and comforting the young woman. Ducky arrived and knelt beside them.

"Ziva, my dear, how are you feeling?"

"I am fine, Ducky," she protested, trying to sit up.

"Just relax, this will only take a few minutes."

She slowly leaned back against Gibbs as Ducky checked her temperature, her pulse, blood pressure and looked at her eyes. Gibbs tried to hide his concern, glancing up at Tony on the plasma and seeing the pain in his features. It wasn't helping.

"When was the last time you ate?" Ducky asked when he finished examining her.

"I do not know," Ziva whispered.

"You are dehydrated and your blood pressure is low. You need to get some nutrients into your body. Ziva, you must take care of yourself."

She nodded once, keeping her eyes closed. Gibbs helped her to her feet and thanked Ducky, supporting her weight as they walked to the cafeteria. He pointed to the chair, forcing her to sit down with the glare on his face. He bought some orange juice and a package of cookies. Gibbs tossed them on the table before pulling out the chair and sitting down beside her. The young woman didn't even reach for them; she sat frozen in the chair, resting one hand on her head in an attempt to slow the spinning of the room. Gibbs opened the orange juice and gently pushed it towards her. Ziva sighed, taking a small sip.

"Good girl…" Gibbs murmured.

"I cannot do this."

Her voice was so soft that he almost couldn't hear her words.

"You can't do what?" he asked, leaning in close to her.

"I cannot keep going like this."

Ziva pushed back from the table and walked to the windows, watching the rain pour down against the cold glass. She tried to keep her shoulders from shaking as she suppressed her sobs. Gibbs came up behind her and turned her around, forcing her to look at him.

"Ziva, we will find Tony and he's gonna be okay. There's no way in hell that I'm gonna let that bastard hurt him. You trust me," he shouted.

"The longer he is missing, the greater the chance that he will be killed before we know it! We will be forced to watch him die on that screen and not be able to do anything about it. I have tortured many and I am not proud about it. I remember what Salem did to me in that camp and I cannot let Tony endure that. It will break him." The anger quickly disappeared from her voice. "Tony is not weak, but right now he is vulnerable and Harold is using Tony's pain to get to you. I will not let it happen."

She pushed away from Gibbs again and returned her attention to the window.

"But sitting here and doing nothing will not save him!"

Gibbs turned her around again and this time, he pulled her into a tight embrace, letting her cry softly in his arms remembering the only other time that she had done this. It was after his coma and she was trying to get him to remember everything by bringing up the painful moments in his life and admitting that she killed her own brother, bringing forth the agony that she'd been keeping inside. Ziva's father did her a disservice by telling her that she couldn't express her sadness. It was hurting her even more. Gibbs waited until she under control and guided her back to the table, coaxing her to drink the juice and eat the cookies. McGee brought her a sandwich to eat.

"Ziva, you can get through this."

"I am powerless to save him," she admitted again.

"You've endured so much in your life, hear me out," he spoke when she tried to tune him out. "You've been beaten, drugged, and tortured. You killed your own brother because your father asked you to gain my trust. The man that you loved was killed by your best friend. And that same best friend needs you now. Be the strong woman that I know you are. I'll support you."

"Thank you."

Gibbs kissed her forehead and sat back down again, motioning towards the sandwich and pretending to put it his mouth. Ziva smiled just a little.

* * *

_12 hours missing…_

"Tell me," Harold hissed, hitting him again.

"No," Tony stated, spitting the blood from his mouth.

Harold had removed the gag from his mouth, but kept the blindfold covering Tony's eyes. He had again inserted something into his leg, but this time Tony remained conscious. It was freezing in the room and he shivered, feeling the pain in his joints from whatever was in the needle. Harold was demanding that Tony admit how he really felt about Gibbs, but the young man was denying him the answer. Angrily, Harold slammed his hands down on the back of the chair, but it didn't faze him. Tony laughed, letting some of the blood run down his chin.

"I bet your mom just loved you, always Negative Nancy. No wonder your boyfriend wouldn't stay with you," Tony taunted.

"It was not like that! Answer my question!"

"Maybe it was your father that didn't love you."

Tony waited as silence filled the room. It made him a little uneasy that Harold was no longer hitting him, though he would still hear his heavy breathing in front of him.

"It was your father that didn't love you, but we aren't discussing that again," the sinister man spoke.

"How about we take a bathroom break? I really gotta go to the head," Tony said, craning his neck as if he was looking around the small room for the bathroom.

"There is no bathroom break for you."

"Wow, you really are a bastard!" Tony suddenly yelled, frustrated with everything. "I bet your own brother didn't even love you."

Tony felt the chair falling back as if it was in slow motion; Harold pushing his shoulder as hard as he could to the cement floor and forcing it until Tony heard the crack of bone. The pain was excruciating as his captor pressed down on the broken bone again before kicking him in the head, almost causing him to lose consciousness. Someone was yelling, but he couldn't figure out who it was until after a moment he knew that he was hearing his own screams as if they traveled down a long tunnel. His collar bone was broken. Tony's stomach tried to revolt, but couldn't. Harold yanked the chair back to a sitting up position, jarring Tony's arm and causing him to yell again.

"The pain will never end now. I will take each one of your friends and kill them, torturing them. But I'll save Gibbs for last. This is only the beginning."

Harold walked out of the room, slamming the door. Tony released the rest of his pain, letting the hot tears run down his cheeks, unable to stop them or wipe them away. It was so cold and the pain slowly knocked him unconscious. Tony didn't know if he would ever wake up again and he could only pray that Gibbs wasn't watching him suffer.

* * *

_Okay, the word that Ziva swears in Hebrew is supposed to be "damn". I'm not too sure since I don't speak the language, so if anyone knows and I'm wrong, you are welcome to correct me. :) A very intense chapter, with more to come! No killing the author because you don't like cliff-hangers. :) I always try to be prompt with a new chapter. Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for all of your reviews!_

_Emma_


	20. Fading

**Chapter 20 - Fading**

_26 hours missing…_

"How does a guy with no college degree create a program that is blocking his video feed?" McGee asked Abby.

They were working in her lab, desperately trying to break through the feed. Both of them had seen Harold injuring Tony and were fervently working to find his location. Abby had given McGee a short nap, but the progress was slow and painful. Gibbs had turned off her television screen to keep them from getting distracted, promising to keep them updated on Tony's condition. Abby glanced into the next part of her lab, seeing that Ziva was still wide eyed, lying on the cot that she had set up. She was feeling better, but Gibbs had ordered her to get some rest.

"Probably bought it," Abby muttered before taking a sip of her Caf-Pow and pushing it towards McGee.

Tim nodded, taking a sip of the liquid. All of sudden, what she said clicked in his mind and he gasped, choking on the red juice in his mouth. He coughed into his hand, trying to expel it while Abby patted him on his back. After a few minutes, he managed to catch his breath and smiled at her.

"Are you okay?" she asked, confused by his behavior.

"Abby, I'm fine. You're a genius." McGee kissed her on the cheek, grinning when he pulled back. "I love you. But like I love Jethro, not a love kinda love."

"I'm not your type either," Gibbs stated, stepping into the lab. "You or DiNozzo, not sure why you guys think I am. What'd ya got?"

"I know Boss, I meant my dog. But I think I have an idea. Well, actually it was Abby who made me think of it."

"Today McGee."

"I think that Harold bought the software that it is blocking us from seeing where his feed is coming from," McGee answered, turning his attention to the computer and rapidly typing. "If he did, we should be able to trace it and find a way to break into his security net around the feed. It'll give us the location."

"Do it," Gibbs ordered.

"It'll take some time to sift through the possible programs."

"Work as quickly as possible. Ziva, you're with me."

Ziva got up from the cot and came into the main part of Abby's lab. He put a hand on her shoulder, motioning for her to go first. Gibbs left the two working fervently and went upstairs to see how Fornell was doing. He was examining tips from the hotline. A few of them seemed promising, especially one from a real estate agent that might have recognized Harold's picture. He was trying to contact her now. Gibbs quietly motioned for Ziva to assist him. He sat down at Tony's desk, looking at the items strewn across the surface that hadn't been touched since his heart problems. A sock was laying on one of his folders, the same one that he'd taken off after stepping in the puddle. The older agent turned to face the screen, watching Tony as he struggled to sit up.

"Hang on DiNozzo, just a little longer."

* * *

Tony gasped, trying to sit up straight in his chair, but the pain in his arms kept him back. His shoulder was throbbing and it was almost too much for him to keep quiet. He couldn't give Harold the satisfaction. Tony groaned, opening his eyes again and still only seeing darkness. He couldn't tell if it was daylight or night and he had no idea how long he'd been trapped in the basement. His stomach rumbled, but there was nothing to eat. It wouldn't help to eat anything anyway; he was nauseous and light-headed from the broken collar bone. There was no way to get out of the handcuffs. Unlike Gibbs, he didn't have the ability to dislocate his thumb and remove the cuffs in that manner. It was too painful and he was already suffering enough. The door creaked and Tony lifted his head. Nothing. He took in a few shaky breaths, waiting for the insults to being. Still there was nothing. It must have just been the door, because Harold hadn't entered the room. He could hear his captor yelling at someone over the phone somewhere close, but he couldn't pinpoint it.

"Boss… you gotta find me," he mumbled.

Harold's voice got louder, but he stopped after a few minutes. Tony felt around with his feet, searching for anything for his feet to pick up, but found nothing. Any movement jarred his wound and stopped him. There had to be a way to escape. There was a rope around his waist, but it wasn't too tight. He could maybe loosen it and work the knot to the back so he could untie it. Tony bit his lip to keep from crying out as he used one hand to move back and forth, sliding the rope. He sucked in, trying to get it to move faster. It was slow going.

"Come on," Tony moaned.

He finally felt the knot in his hands, and tried to untie the thick rope. The pain from his shoulder radiated down his arm and it was hard to remain conscious. Tony stopped, taking a deep breath. His fingers fumbled around the rope as he worked before it eventually was undone and sagged on his lap. He listened for Harold before pulling the rope off of him and moving his arms from around the back of the chair and slowly getting to his feet. Still being blindfolded, Tony stumbled around the room, searching for anything that he could use as a weapon. His fingers found a blanket and a few paint brushes, but nothing else. The shelving unit was screwed to the floor. Tony bumped into the camera, but steadied it and continued around the room before his body found the doorknob. He turned around and twisted the knob with no results. It was locked. The little strength he had faded and Tony slid to the floor.

"No," he whispered.

There was no escape. Tony tried to get to his feet, but he couldn't stand again. It hit him that he was gonna die in Harold's custody, Gibbs wouldn't be able to save him this time. His heart wasn't the problem. Tony couldn't be a special agent with a heart problem, let alone murdered. Ducky would perform his autopsy, letting Palmer cut into his chiseled chest. Tony doubted that his father would even care when they notified him of his death. Ziva would mourn him for a time, but it would pass. McGee, his Probie Won-Kenobi, would miss him, but he would move on and be a good agent. Tony's face would appear in one of those manila case files, tucked away in a box in the archives after it was closed. Nothing would have mattered.

A tear fell down his cheek, but he couldn't wipe it away with his hands stuck behind his back. Tony got to his feet, stumbling to the chair in the middle of the room. It was the only weapon that he had. There were loud footsteps behind him; Harold was coming. He heard the key in the door. Tony fell to the floor, yelling as his shoulder struck the surface.

"Trying to escape, Agent DiNozzo," Harold hissed, slamming the door behind him. "You just can't seem to learn that I won't let you go. It's not time to die yet, but if you keep trying to make it sooner, I'll have to cooperate."

Tony felt his rough hands grab the front of his shirt, hauling up and throwing him into the chair, almost knocking it over.

"You bastard!" Tony yelled.

"Shut up!"

Tony turned his head, throwing up onto the floor. He gasped from the movement. Harold pushed him back, holding him up as he coughed.

"You are only making this worse!"

He punched Tony again, reopening the wound on Tony's lip. Harold picked up the rope and began to retie it around his waist, pulling it tight and causing Tony to hiss in pain, trying to breathe normally and failing. Tony felt Harold tying the rope beneath the chair so he couldn't reach the knot this time. He backhanded Tony's face again.

"Try to escape again and I'll break your other shoulder," he threatened.

"Okay, sorry… can I have something to drink?" Tony begged.

"Sure," he hissed. "When I get your Agent Gibbs, delivered to me and dead. Have a nice night."

"Wait…"

Harold walked from the room, slamming the door and locking it again. Tony hung his head, defeated.

"I'm sorry Boss. Can't get the upper hand on this guy… if you were here you would be… smacking the back of my head, but I don't think it would work this time… I'm not doing so hot."

Tony tried to squeeze his legs together and get himself in a more comfortable position, but it wasn't working after a few seconds and he cried out again. There was nothing he could do it.

"Damn. I'm between a rock… and this chair. You gotta… find me soon. I can't wait much longer."

Tony closed his eyes, letting the darkness surround him as he tried to save what little strength he had left, but he didn't know if it was enough to stay alive until Gibbs found him. If Gibbs could even save him.

* * *

_Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews! :) Another cliff-hanger, I really love writing these. I got another rejection letter yesterday after 7 months of waiting, but it's okay. I'll just have to try harder to find an agent._

_Please review!_

_Emma_


	21. Rescued Son

**Chapter 21 - Rescued Son  
**

_31 hours missing…_

"I've got a location!" Timothy exclaimed, rushing into the bullpen with Abby right behind him. She wasn't watching and crashed into Tim, knocking him down in her hurry.

Had the situation not been so tense, Ziva might have smiled, but instead she jumped to her feet. Gibbs stood up and looked down at them as Fornell did the same. McGee and Abby quickly untangled themselves as Ziva pulled out her weapon, hooking it to her belt in preparation. The young man got to his feet, helping Abby stand up before taking a deep breath before continuing.

"I have a location of the video feed." He hurried behind his desk, bringing up an image on the plasma of a map. "It's coming from a farm house thirty minutes outside the city."

"Gear up!"

McGee grabbed his bag as he scribbled the address down on a post-it note and handed it to Gibbs. Abby kissed his cheek for good luck and let him rush after the others. Ziva arrived at the elevator first, quickly punching the button. Gibbs put a hand on her shoulder to calm her, but he was just as anxious as her. Fornell followed them into the elevator, planning on going with them to get DiNozzo. Gibbs quickly got into the front seat of the car with Ziva beside him. McGee sat in the back, programming the address into the GPS and handed it to Ziva. The woman took it from him and suddenly paused. Gibbs watched as she opened the door and threw up onto the ground of the parking lot. She wiped her mouth, closed the door, and buckled her seat belt. Gibbs and McGee didn't move.

"You okay Ziver?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes, I am fine."

"Ziva."

"We do not have time! I am nervous. We need to get to Tony!" Ziva shouted.

He didn't press the issue and threw the car into gear, squealing out of the parking lot. Fornell was right behind them, driving at the same break neck speeds. Several long minutes passed as they drove out of the city and in the direction of the farm house. Gibbs glanced at the little blip on the map screen that had to be where Tony was being kept and it made his stomach churn.

"Tim, take out your phone and get Tony on that thing. I wanna see him. You watch and keep me updated on his condition."

"Yes, Boss."

McGee watched as Tony sat in the chair, shivering and breathing in short gasps. He just had to hold on a little longer. They were coming for him.

* * *

Tony couldn't stop shivering, but sweat was dripping down his forehead. He was exhausted, but the extreme pain was keeping him awake, along with the cold air on his damp skin. He wished that he could at least see what was happening. There was a loud thump upstairs, causing him to jump. He could hear Harold coming down the stairs and it caused his weak heart to race and contract painfully. His captor was on the phone again, and this time he was yelling at someone about a broken code, but he couldn't concentrate on the bits of conversation that he could hear. It was difficult to breathe. Where was Gibbs? The lock clicked in the door and he heard Harold enter the room.

"What do you want with me?" Tony muttered.

"I already told you Anthony. You're my bait. And it appears that my fish is coming. Your agents broke through my code concealing my video feed. I knew I should have just sent body parts in little boxes to Agent Gibbs."

"Please, just let me go."

"It doesn't work like that. You're gonna die here."

"What's your plan?" Tony asked, trying to distract him and give Gibbs a little more time to get to him. "Gibbs won't stop until he kills you. Ziva, she may look pretty, but I would never get in a knife fight with her. McGee, he'll track you with his computer stuff."

The room filled with silence and Tony turned his heard, trying to hear where his captor was. He immediately felt the pain on his upper arm as Harold cut his skin, ruining the fabric of his t-shirt. Tony yelled, unable to stay quiet anymore.

"Stop," he begged.

"Gibbs can't save you, Tony. You can't replace your father with a man that won't take care of you when you need him."

Tony didn't suspect the punch coming, causing him to gasp and move his injured shoulder. Harold was up against him in the next moment, pushing down on the injury and causing Tony to bit his lip to keep from crying out in pain. Harold backed up a second later and cut Tony's other arm. Warm blood dripped down his arms, falling to the dirty floor and disappearing in the scuffle.

"Ugh!" Tony shouted in pain.

"Are you ready to die Tony?" Harold hissed in his ear, pulling on his hair to keep him from moving his head as he pressed the cold knife to his throat.

"No, don't please."

"Gibbs will never forgive himself, not that he will live long enough."

Tony gasped, needing to give Gibbs more time and not knowing how to get it. "Is there something you want? Money, women; anything we can give you instead of my death?"

"I don't like women," Harold stated.

"Lieutenant Morris… I forgot. You killed your boyfriend," Tony chuckled.

"He was trying to leave me. No one leaves me."

He pressed the knife against Tony's neck, causing his breath to catch in his throat.

"Please just stop. You don't have to kill me," he pleaded.

"Too. Late."

There was a loud slam as the door was kicked open and Tony felt the knife press down on his neck. A second later, three shots rang out and the blade dropped to the floor as Harold's body fell, dead. Gibbs had put three rounds directly in his heart, not missing or taking a second look. He put his gun away as Ziva checked the room for anyone else. Gibbs ran over to Tony, kicking Harold's body away from him and knelt before his agent. Fornell called for the paramedics to speed up, having phoned them on the way to the scene. Tony couldn't breathe and his heart was going much too fast. He felt like he was having a heart attack. Sweat dripped down his brow, despite the cold. Everything was spinning.

"Tony, it's okay," Gibbs comforted.

Tony didn't response and Gibbs swore under his breath. Fornell went upstairs to let McGee know that they killed him and change positions with him. Ziva looked around the room and saw a small key, most likely to the handcuffs. She pulled the cord on the camera, ending the feed and went to grab them as Gibbs placed his hands on Tony's face.

"Tony, I'm right here. You are gonna be okay."

"I can't… I can't breathe."

"Yes you can. Just listen to my breathing and breathe with me."

"I'm gonna die," he panicked.

"No," Gibbs reassured softly. "Harold won't hurt you again. He's dead. Just listen to my voice and it's gonna be okay."

After a few moments, Tony began to breathe a little easier, but his shivering continued. He became more aware and relaxed. Gibbs kept his hands on Tony's face until he was sure he was calm. The older man reached up and untied the blindfold, instructing Tony to keep his eyes closed so the light didn't hurt them. Tony jerked at his touch, but relaxed as Gibbs pulled the material from his eyes. He had to make sure that it was his boss. Tony opened his eyes, groaning at the pain from the bright light above his head.

"Boss," he moaned.

"I'm right here."

"Where's Ziva?"

"I am here," she answered. "Would you like your arms free?"

"My collar bone… it's broken."

Gibbs quickly distracted him as Ziva inserted the key. "We know. We saw Harold break it."

Tony seemed confused until he remembered the video camera.

"You saw everything?"

"Yeah, we saw everything."

Ziva gently removed the handcuffs, letting them fall to the floor and held his arms in the same position. Gibbs warned Tony before helping him move his arms forward, depositing them into his lap as he cried out in pain from the broken bone and lack of movement as the blood flow returned. McGee entered with the first aid kit from the car and pulled out some bandages to press against the wounds on Tony's arms. Tony smiled weakly at his friend, but kept his eyes closed. All of a sudden it seemed to connect in his mind that Harold was gone and he was free. Tony lifted his good arm and pulled Gibbs towards him, embracing his boss and not caring that he was crying on his shoulder. Gibbs returned the hug, whispering softly in his ear. Tony started to fall out of the chair, and Gibbs caught him, helping him onto the floor and keeping him in his arms. The younger man didn't speak; he was content to be in Gibbs' arms. Tony continued to shiver. Ziva stood up and brought over the blanket from the shelf, tucking it around her partner as McGee pressed the bandage against the wound again, gesturing for Ziva to do the same to the other cut. Tony slowly opened his eyes a little as the exhaustion caught up with him.

"You look terrible," he commented.

Ziva smiled. "Pot calling the kettle black."

Tony didn't answer, relaxing into Gibbs' arms, forgetting about the pain for a moment.

"You okay Probie?" Tony asked after a minute.

"I'm doing better, now that you're safe."

He was silent again, and his breathing changed.

"Get me out of here; I don't wanna be down here," Tony said, starting to panic again.

"Hey Tony, you stay with me. It's gonna be okay. The ambulance is on its way and we'll get you out of here."

Tony swallowed and nodded, trying to focus on his breathing and not the increasing pain. Ziva lifted the bandage on Tony's arm, checking the bleeding and looked away, pressing the cloth against it again. Seeing her expression, McGee did the same and quickly covered it back up again. The sirens of the ambulance could be heard in the distance. Tony's eyes felt heavy and it was warm in the room. He tried to stay awake, but it was getting difficult and hard to breathe again.

"Gibbs, the bleeding is not stopping," Ziva reported.

"Stay with me, Tony."

"Can't… sorry Boss."

Tony focused on Gibbs' concerned face as the world went dark and he lost consciousness.

* * *

_Whew! I'm exhausted from writing such an intense scene. I'm almost all the way through finals week, I'm ready for summer and a nice sleep. Almost had myself crying at one point from Tony's emotions. Still another cliff-hanger, but at least Harold is dead and Tony is with his friends again._

_And oh my goodness, I loved the new episode of NCIS last night! I loved getting to hear about Tony's past. "I'd rather have the plague than become a navy cop." I laughed so hard at that line! And Agent Pacci's line about "My stomach is gonna be the death of me", that was actually kinda funny and sad. So many great lines! "Freeze dirtbag! I'm wearing tube socks, you can't outrun me!" Definitely one of my favorites. :)_

_Please review and let me know what you thought!_

_Emma_


	22. Silence of the Tony

**Chapter 22 – Silence of the Tony**

Tony slowly regained consciousness, trying to remember what had happened and where he was. The antiseptic smell burned his nose and he realized that he must be in the hospital… again. He wasn't quite ready to wake up yet. He listened to the dull hum of the television in the background and the beeping of his heart in the monitors. The nasal canula was pinching his nose like always. His body was aching, but the pain in his shoulder was less. Tony moved his shoulder slightly, feeling the bandages keeping it in place. There was movement beside his bed and someone touched his hand. He gasped, pulling his hand back.

"I'm sorry Tony," a soft voice apologized.

He opened his eyes, but the bright light caused him to move his head quickly. The lights in the room dimmed.

"It's okay; you can open your eyes now."

Tony timidly opened his eyes and saw that she had turned the lights lower and he could see the dark sky outside the window. It was night and it took him a moment to realize that Gibbs wasn't sitting next to him like usual. Abby was leaning over the bed with her hair down and tumbled over her shoulders. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. He smiled at her, gently pushing his hand back towards her. Abby kissed his good hand, being careful not to hurt him. Tony tried to speak, but only ended up coughing. She quickly picked up his glass of water and helped him take a sip, spilling a few drops onto his hospital gown.

"Where's Gibbs?" Tony asked.

"The Boss-man is at headquarters, filling out paperwork. It's a lot of paperwork to –"

"To kill someone," he interrupted, sighing and inspecting the sling holding his arm in place.

There was an IV in his hand, delivering some nice drugs that were keeping him calm and without a lot of pain. Tony would see one of the bandages on his arm, concealing the knife mark. The skin was a little tight and he sensed that they had to give him stitches to close the wound. Abby noticed his distraction and leaned over, pulling out something and tucking it under Tony's hand. She had brought him Bert. He smiled at the hippo, giving it a little squeeze to make her laugh.

"Are you okay?" Abby whispered.

"I'm fine."

"You know… fine ought to be a four letter word."

"It is."

She frowned. "That's not what I meant." Abby paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. "You scared me."

Tony locked eyes with her, seeing the tears about to fall. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"I can't believe that Harold got that close to killing you. It doesn't seem real, to watch him hurt you on that video. I can't live without you."

"Me either Abby."

She wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to compose herself. "What happened, how did he take you?"

"Don't ask me that question right now." Tony closed his eyes, fighting the memories that assaulted me. "I'm not ready to talk about it."

Abby took his hand to comfort him.

"Ziva is at the scene with Fornell, driving him crazy I'm sure. And McGee is processing all of the evidence. I'm supposed to be on babysitting duty to make sure that you are okay, Tony-sitting," she teased in an attempt to distract him.

"Just great, Abs."

Tony looked over at her, trying to force a grin on his face. A young male doctor came into the room, holding a chart and smiling at Tony, grateful to see that he was awake.

"I'm Doctor Tyler, how are you feeling Agent DiNozzo?" the man inquired.

"Better than I was."

"Your body temperature was a little low when you arrived, but we are slowly getting it back to normal. We've placed the broken clavicle; it was a clean break and given you something for the pain." He flipped up the paper on his chart. "You got twenty-one stitches, ten in the left arm and eleven in the right. We also treated the cuts on your face; the swelling should go down in a few days."

"When can I go home?"

"There's a strange substance in your blood, but once it's out of your system, we can discharge you. There's a chance that you could go home tomorrow afternoon, depending on if you have good behavior."

"I don't like hospitals," Tony protested weakly.

"I've been informed about you, Agent DiNozzo. Doctor Wilson and I have lunch on Fridays, so I've been warned about your dislike of the hospital."

"Great," he mumbled.

"I'll keep an eye on him," Abby spoke up. "Don't worry about him escaping. You wouldn't get very far anyway."

Tony nodded, trying to sit up a little in the bed and failing. He coughed into his hand, wanting to ask the doctor another question before he left the room. Doctor Tyler waited patiently, winking in Abby's direction.

"How's my heart?" he whispered.

"I checked your medical file and while you were unconscious, we checked on your heart and gave you an echocardiogram. We didn't detect any swelling in your pericardium, though it's still healing. This experience didn't do any damage to your heart. You're gonna be fine."

Tony didn't say anything, just turned his head and looked out the window. The young doctor frowned at his patient and tried to say something, but Abby quickly got his attention and motioned for him to leave Tony alone, that it wouldn't help.

"Thank you Doctor," Abby said, ushering the man out of the room.

She took her place beside Tony, sitting silently and waiting for him to talk. He turned his head and focused on the old James Bond movie playing on the television. Abby tried to encourage him to speak, but nothing worked. After a few attempts, she gave up and sat watching the movie with him, making little comments that would make him smile. He was relatively reflective as he sat with her, knowing that it was upsetting her, but he didn't want to talk about what happened or his heart. Sleep refused to come as Tony stared at the television screen. It was after ten when Gibbs finally arrived, peering into the room before entering. He observed Tony's behavior, sensing his distress and desire to be alone. Abby's ministrations, touching his arm and hand interchangeably, and talking to him a mile a minute wasn't helping. Tony was emotionally pushing her away. He stepped into the room, getting a smile from Tony.

"You finish the paperwork?" Tony teased.

"Yep, it's done," he answered, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling DiNozzo?"

"Doc says I might be able to leave tomorrow."

"That's good."

Gibbs glanced over at Abby and signed something with his hand. Tony frowned, hating when they did that in front of him when he knew it was about him.

Abby quickly stood up, picking up her bag off of the floor. "I better get going Tony. I've got some evidence to process. I'll come see you tomorrow," she promised. "You get better." She leaned over and kissed his forehead, brushing his hair back.

"I'll try," Tony muttered. "Don't forget Bert."

"You keep him. He'll watch over you."

"Yes, he'll fart my nightmares away."

Abby smiled and bid him good-night. Gibbs settled down in the chair beside Tony, making a comment about Sean Connery and getting his younger agent talking. After a while, he noticed that Tony was getting tired and he finally fell into a peaceful sleep, though Gibbs suspected that it wouldn't last very long. He listened to the sound of Tony's soft breathing, finally relaxing himself and taking time to be thankful for getting Tony rescued before it was too late. Gibbs stood up slowly and silently kissed his agent's forehead, lingering for just a moment before taking his place beside him again and focusing on the television. He crossed his arms over his chest, preparing for a long night.

* * *

The night hadn't been too bad. A nurse had come into give Tony more pain medication and a mild sedative to keep him from waking up in the middle of the night and injuring himself more. Gibbs dozed lightly, but it wasn't a great sleep. He kept waking up, convinced that someone was going to take Tony away from him again. The older man promised himself that it wouldn't happen again. Harold was dead and Tony was safe. Tony woke up groggy and hissing in pain, not admitting it out loud, but willingly let the nurse put more medication in his IV without complaint. Another nurse brought Tony some breakfast, but the younger man refused to eat. He mentioned that it smelled funny and his stomach was a little queasy.

"You need to eat something," Gibbs encouraged.

"Boss, I just want to sleep," Tony lied.

"We could always talk if you don't want to eat anything. You need to get your strength back."

"No…"

Gibbs watched as Tony fixed his attention on the television and ignored his boss. He gave Bert a little squeeze. It was gonna take time for Tony to get better, but Gibbs still hadn't gotten to the core of what was bothering his agent before he disappeared with Harold. Tony was keeping a secret from him and it would take every ounce of his patience to help him heal.

* * *

_A nice little chapter with Abby, getting to be with her Tony. More father/son moments to come! I'm done with finals and I would have written more, but I have to work 9 hours today and I'm exhausted. I loved all of the reviews last chapter! _

_Thank you!_

_Emma_


	23. Tell the Truth

**Chapter 23 – Tell the Truth**

"I am concerned about him," Ziva protested, standing outside Tony's hospital room. She placed her hands on her hips to get her point across to Gibbs. "He is not himself. The jokes he makes are not funny; it is as if he is trying too hard to seem normal, when he is clearly in pain."

Gibbs placed his hands on her shoulders. "Talk to him."

"About what? I would not know what to say to help him!" she exclaimed.

Gibbs spoke softly. "You are the only one that understands completely what happened to him. I know you don't want to talk about it, but Ziva, he will listen to you. There are things that I can't tell him to make him feel better. I wish I could, but I can't. I need you to do this for me. I know that you don't want to do this, and I hate to ask you."

"I will speak to him." Her voice choked up and she avoided looking at Gibbs.

"I owe you."

Ziva nodded once, stepping into the room. Tony was staring at the TV, rubbing his shoulder. He quickly stopped when Ziva entered the room and turned his face to stare outside the window. She walked over to him and picked up the remote, turning the television off and then going over to close the blinds on the window, leaving them in the light of the dim overhead lamp that was slowly fading. Tony turned to look at her and frowned.

"Is this the part where you tell me that you've been watching me again?" he inquired.

"No Tony," she muttered.

"What is it that you want Ziva?"

Tony stared up at the ceiling in an attempt to avoid her piercing gaze. Ziva remained at the window, sniffing once and placing the back of her hand on her nose before turning to face him. She didn't speak, waiting for Tony to look at her. It took him a minute before he glanced in her direction. He quickly tried to sit up, but couldn't when he realized that Ziva was crying. Something was definitely wrong. Ziva slowly approached the bed and sat down on the edge of the bed, gently putting her hands down in front of her. She kept her head down as she spoke to him.

"I remember… the first day that he spoke to me. I did not see him at first, but I knew his name. He had his 'goons' as you would call them, beat me and interrogate me, but I would not tell them anything. Saleem knew how to get all of the answers that he wanted, but I would not give them to him. I protected everyone that I cared for and after a while, I realized that you were not coming to save me. Months passed and no one came. My father knew where I was, but he did not come to save me. Saleem broke me."

Ziva lifted her up shirt, revealing a long faint scar below her rib cage. Her fingers gently traced the raised blemish on her skin.

"A month after I was captured… he stabbed me because I refused to speak. I lived, but it was not without pain and suffering. I was tortured, drugged and beaten for information so many times that I gave up hope. When you came to rescue me and I saw you for the first time, I thought that it was a nightmare. A hallucination from whatever drugs Saleem would give me. It could not be real. You brought me home, but a part of me did not leave the camp."

She turned and lifted her shirt, revealing dozens of small scars across her back, most likely from a whip. Tony grimaced, unable to look anymore. Ziva faced him again and he saw the tears falling down her cheeks.

"Why are you telling me this? You never talk about it," he muttered.

"What is there to say?" she lied. "There is much to tell, but I cannot say it. Tony, I know that Harold hurt you by keeping you in the darkness and lying to you. It is not a physical scar that you will bear once your collar bone heals. It is an emotional scar. I will carry it all of my life. Tony, you can heal if you let someone help you. I am willing to listen, so are Gibbs, Abby, or McGee. You must feel comfortable to talk about what you are feeling."

"I can't. I'm not strong enough," Tony choked.

"Yes, you are. You are my little hairy butt," Ziva laughed, wiping at one of the tears on her cheeks. "You are strong. Tony, you survived the plague, being blown up and having your heart broken too many times that I cannot even begin to count. I trust that you will make it through this."

"I can't… Ziva, please."

She dropped her face into her hands, trying to contain her sobs. Ziva quickly composed herself and moved closer to Tony as he took a few shaky breaths. He moved over a little and she took the cue, sliding next to him on the blanket and resting her head on his good shoulder. Tony put his arm around her, comforting his friend.

"I'll talk to Gibbs, I promise."

"Thank you Tony."

Ziva closed her eyes, fighting the memories that were assaulting her. Tony gave her a little squeeze.

"Thanks for telling me. If you ever need anyone to talk to…"

"I know. You always have my back and I have yours."

* * *

"The substance is out of his system and his pain is under control for the broken collar bone. He'll need his stitches removed in a few days," Doctor Tyler reported. "But otherwise, Agent DiNozzo is free to go. Though I recommend he remain on bed rest for a few more days to rest his shoulder."

"Thank you Doctor," Gibbs stated.

"I'll get the paperwork for him to sign and you can leave when he's dressed."

Gibbs nodded once and stepped in Tony's hospital room. He was sleeping slightly with Ziva in the bed with him; his head was on her shoulder. Ziva stirred when he entered the room and she untangled herself from Tony, accidentally waking him up in the process.

"Boss…" he mumbled. "What's going on?"

"Doc says you can go home. Sound like something you would be interested in?"

Tony smiled. "Are you serious?"

"Ya think?" Gibbs laughed.

"I am more than ready to get out of here."

Ziva didn't say a word, but tried to slip out of the hospital room without speaking. Gibbs put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her into an embrace as Doctor Tyler entered with the paperwork for Tony to sign for his release. It only took a moment and they were alone again. Ziva promised to come over to Gibbs' house for dinner, though she knew it was only so he could keep an eye on her. She left them alone to call Abby and McGee and tell them the good news.

"I don't think I can take any more hospital stays. If I stay any longer, they are going to name a room in the hospital after me."

Gibbs laughed softly, helping Tony sit up and removing the sling. He slid the hospital gown off of his good arm and let Gibbs untie it. Tony hissed once in pain, but bit his lip as his boss pulled the button down shirt over his good arm and buttoned it before putting the sling back on. Neither man said a word as the nurse brought in the wheelchair and pushed him from the room with Bert on his lap and Gibbs holding the black roses that Abby had sent him. The car ride to his house was quiet as Tony dozed lightly in the backseat. He didn't even notice that Gibbs hadn't gone straight home. He'd stopped to get something for his agent. The older man helped him into the living room and lay Tony on the couch. He went back out to the car and returned with Bert, the roses, and a milkshake.

"Don't worry; it's not one of those nutritional shakes. It's a real chocolate milkshake."

Gibbs plopped down on the couch as Tony took a small sip of the mixture and smiled.

"McGee is coming over later with Ziva for dinner. She's making some Italian food for you to help you regain some of the weight you've lost in the past few weeks since your heart problems began."

"That sounds delicious."

Gibbs rubbed his hand across his mouth, unable to stay silent anymore. He needed to know what was bothering Tony before he went crazy with worry. He opened his mouth to speak, but Tony was quicker. His voice was rushed and full of emotion.

"I'll get the paperwork ready and submit my resignation on Monday. I can't be a field agent with a bad heart. Vance will fire me as soon as I set foot in the building. It's my fault. All of this."

"What?" Gibbs retorted.

"NCIS agents can't have heart problems, I know the rules," Tony raised his voice.

Gibbs took a deep breath before continuing. "You don't have heart problems."

"Boss –"

"I'm not finished," he interrupted. "Tony, you had an infection that attacked your heart and caused a lot of problems, but you didn't have a heart transplant or a serious defect. Ducky says that your heart will be fine. You just need to be a little more careful when you get sick. I won't let Vance fire you. He has no grounds, but if he tries he'll have me to deal with and it won't be pretty."

"Boss –"

"Still not done, DiNozzo."

He smacked the back of Tony's head with his usual strength, not going easy on him.

"I will be with you, helping you get better and I won't stop until you're back at work, correcting Ziva's grammar and super gluing McGee's hands to his keyboard again. Do I make myself clear?"

Tony bit his lip as tears streamed down his cheeks. Gibbs pulled him into a tight hug, being careful not to bump his injury and not saying anything as he let Tony cry. The younger man needed this.

"Don't scare me like that again," Gibbs whispered.

"I love you too Boss."

* * *

_Sorry for the wait! I've been busy. Doing some stuff and trying to find an agent for my book. I had to write a book proposal this week, which I'd never done and it took several hours. Hope it was worth the wait! Because oh my goodness, the new episode almost killed me this week! It was A-MAZING! And I'm distracted because my best friend is coming home from London in three days! I haven't seen her since January.  
_

_Please review!_

_Emma_


	24. Not taking time

**Chapter 24 – Not taking time**

Tony rolled over in his bed and groaned in pain. His shoulder was throbbing and it felt impossible to sleep. He glanced over at the alarm clock and saw that it was still early in the morning, but he could hear Gibbs moving around in his room, preparing for work. A week had passed since Harold was killed and Gibbs was finally going back to work for the day. Tony was going to be spending some time alone. It was a little scary, but he needed it. Tony heard the sound of Gibbs taking a shower and tried to sit up in bed, unable to get up. His pain medication was on the counter in the kitchen, and it seemed like it was a long way away. It wasn't going away. He slowly pushed his bare feet over the edge of the bed and touched the soft carpet. The young man got to his feet and took a deep breath before leaving his room and entering the hallway, keeping his arm against his chest to support it. Tony got halfway down the stairs before he felt a little dizzy. He started to fall back, but felt Gibbs's arms around his waist, steadying him. The older man didn't say a word as he walked into the kitchen and had Tony sit down at the table. Gibbs brought him the medication and a glass of water.

"Want some breakfast?" he inquired.

Tony nodded. He took the medicine and watched as Gibbs made scrambled eggs and pancakes from scratch. He was quiet as he worked. Tony adjusted his sling so it was more comfortable on his shoulder. Gibbs plopped the pancakes on a plate and set it in front of Tony as he got himself a cup of coffee.

"You feeling okay?" Gibbs inquired. "I don't have to go into work today. Vance wouldn't mind if I took off another day if you need it."

"You know… when I was a kid, I always wanted my dad to stay home with me when I was sick and take care of me, but he never did. The maid would make me pancakes when I had a cold and she'd read to me. It always made me feel better, but it wasn't enough," Tony mumbled.

"Okay, I'll stay."

Tony looked up from the picture he'd been drawing with his syrup and frowned.

"No Boss, you go ahead. I'll be fine. I can finally have my turn at that boat. I was thinking that it needed a power motor or maybe a place for the flat screen television."

Gibbs sat down next to Tony and gently smacked the back of his head. Tony quickly stopped his mumbling and took a bit of his breakfast. Gibbs pulled out the morning paper and began to read it, flipping through the pages. He handed the sports section to Tony without a word. Gibbs finished first and went to get ready for work. Tony deposited his dishes in the sink, not finishing his food and going to sit on the couch. Gibbs found him flipping through the channels and pausing at the cartoons.

"I'm leaving. I'll be calling to check up on you and make sure that you eat and take your medicine," he announced.

Tony didn't look in his direction. "Okay. Have fun."

Gibbs stood in the doorway and leaned against the door jam, wondering what it would be like to have Tony as a son. He was stubborn and compassionate, kind and a prankster. The older man could imagine what Tony was like as a child, just wanting to curl up in his father's lap and DiNozzo Sr. not being there. Instead of growing up into a man unable to care about others, Tony felt deeply for everyone. He protected Ziva and McGee. Gibbs would have wanted a son, a brother for Kelly. But he never got that chance. Tony would have protected her and loved Kelly. Gibbs longed to stay and watch cartoons with Tony and listen to him laugh. He leaned over and kissed him on the top of his head.

"Be good," Gibbs whispered before quickly walking out the front door.

"I'll try."

Tony watched cartoons for a while before falling asleep on the couch and dozing lightly. A little while later, he got up and attempted to wash a few dishes with on hand, but it didn't work so well. Then Tony decided to take a short walk and get some exercise. He couldn't become an agent again if he didn't start moving again. Tony picked up his cell phone and tucked it in his pocket before walking out the door into the sunshine.

* * *

Gibbs took a sip of his coffee, filling on the paperwork that he was behind on since he'd been staying home to take care of Tony. He glanced up and saw that McGee was distracted, not working at his desk.

"Something bothering you, McGee?" he asked, taking off his glasses and setting them down on his desk.

Ziva looked over from her work and stared across the room.

"I'm thinking about Tony," Tim muttered.

"Me too," Ziva added. "I do not know if it is okay that he is home alone."

Gibbs completely understood how they were feeling. It was almost lunch time and he'd almost called Tony twice, but wanted to give him a chance to be a little independent. The team didn't have a case and time was passing slowly. Tony was fine; he was sure about that. Gibbs picked up his cell phone and pressed the number. It rang three times before Tony picked it up. He could hear wind in the background and a car passing. Tony sounded a little winded himself and was slow to speak.

"You okay DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, waiting for Tony to say something.

"Yeah, I'm fine… Boss."

"Where are you?"

"About five blocks from your house. I went for a walk… now I don't think I can make it back. I guess I pushed it a little far."

"I'll get McGee to give me your location. Stay where you are," Gibbs ordered, pointing at McGee to quickly get Tony's location and scribble down the address. "You just keep talking to me."

"Okay Boss. Sorry, that you have to leave work… didn't mean to cause a problem. I really don't need you to come and get me."

Gibbs's desk phone rang and he handed his cell to Ziva for a moment as McGee got the exact location. Ducky wandered into the bullpen at the same time. Ziva spoke to Tony until Gibbs put down his phone and grabbed his cup of coffee.

"Gear up, we got a dead marine."

"What about Tony?" McGee inquired.

"Is something wrong with Anthony?" Ducky spoke up.

"Went for a walk and doesn't have the energy to get back," Gibbs answered.

"I have an idea. Mr. Palmer went to the store to get some cold medicine, I could have him pick up Tony and take him back to your place. It wouldn't be a problem."

"Sounds good," Gibbs answered.

* * *

Jimmy sneezed into his sleeve, paying the disgusted store clerk for the cold medication and hearing his cell phone ring in his pocket. He thanked the woman and walked out of the store, flipping open his phone. It was Ducky calling. They must have got a case or something. He wished that this cold wasn't kicking his butt.

"Yes Doctor," he replied.

"Jimmy, I need you to do me a favor. Anthony went for a walk near Agent Gibbs' house and he doesn't have the strength to walk back. Gibbs got called for a case and we need someone to take him back and make sure that he gets some fluids into him. Would you be willing to do that?" Ducky inquired.

"Of course. That wouldn't be a problem. Would you like me to stay with him after or come assist you?"

"I'll be fine. You stay with him until Jethro can come and see him."

"Alright Doctor." He sneezed again, wiping his nose with a tissue.

"Make sure that you take something for your cold and try not to give it to Anthony. His immune system is still weak from his heart problems."

"Okay, I will."

Jimmy said good-bye and hung up the phone, tucking it back into his pocket. He got into his car and received the address from McGee in a text message. He made a quick stop before driving off to pick up his co-worker. Tony was sitting on the edge of a short stone wall with his gaze downward. He was breathing heavily and cradling his arm in the sling. It pained him to see his friend like this. Jimmy pulled over and got out of the vehicle. Tony looked up at the sound of the car door; his expression not really giving away how he was feeling.

"Hey Tony."

"They sent the autopsy gremlin to pick me up?" Tony teased.

"Yep, come on."

Tony didn't move to stand up and Jimmy quickly realized that it was because he couldn't. He took Tony's arm and put it over his shoulder, pulling the older man to his feet and helping him into the car. Tony smiled, smelling the fresh scent of Jamaican mocha coffee with sugar.

"You remembered," the agent mused as Jimmy got in the car and started the short drive back to Gibbs' house.

"Of course I did."

"Thanks Palmer."

The rest of the drive was silent and Tony didn't say a word as Jimmy helped him get settled on the couch again and flipped on the television after bringing him a ham sandwich. The autopsy assistant took his cold medicine and tried to keep his distance from Tony, sitting in the chair instead of the couch. Tony waited for the pain medication to kick in as he stared at the romance scene playing on the screen that he wasn't even looking at. Palmer waited for him to talk, knowing that it wouldn't take long.

"I don't think I can go back," Tony muttered.

"Go back where?"

"To NCIS and become a federal agent again, not sure I can do it."

Palmer nodded once. "You're quitting."

"No… yes… I'm not sure. Being trapped in Harold's basement with him taunting me and making it so I couldn't see him, was terrifying. I still have nightmares about it, but I've been sleeping with my face practically in my pillow so Gibbs can't hear me screaming. I'm scared."

"It's understandable, after what happened to you."

"Not for me! I'm Tony DiNozzo, protector of the innocent and teaser of Probie and Ziva. I don't know what to do."

"I think you do know," Jimmy stated after a few minutes.

"What?"

"You do know what to do. You're gonna get better and wait until your arm heals before you go taking long walks again. After a few more weeks, Tony, you will come back and sit at your desk with your Mighty Mouse stapler and unstoppable attitude. I don't doubt that. You need to stop doubting yourself."

Tony thought about it at length. He hated to admit it, but Palmer was right. He knew there was a reason that he used to meet with Jimmy in the evidence garage to work on difficult cases. Jimmy was a good guy, even though he was still a little annoying. He watched his friend blew his nose into a handkerchief pulled from a random pocket and blew his nose.

"If I get your cold, I'm gonna be very pissed."

"That sounds like the old Tony."

* * *

_Sorry for the wait! I've been stuck with this chapter for a while now. I need some inspiration! :) I did not even bother to edit this chapter, so let me know of any mistakes and I'll fix them. My summer classes are turning out to be a lot more work than I thought. I did really want to write the conversation between Jimmy and Tony. You see in one episode that they show each other that they like to bounce ideas off each other. Jimmy is painfully honest with Tony and he takes it. I thought this was a good fit!_

_**(Spoilers)**__ My comments on the season finale: One, I don't really like EJ. But at least she's gonna be gone now or better be. I loved the hint towards Abby and McGee getting together! Not excited about the gift that Ray gave Ziva. She's supposed to be with Tony! And I'm excited to see how their relationship goes in season 9! :)_

_Also, since someone asked... this story is still just Gibbs/Tony father/son and won't be Tiva. I just like including the friendship of all of the team! Even Jimmy. :)  
_

_Please review!_

_Emma_


	25. Like a child

**Chapter 25 – Like a child**

Tony dozed lightly on the couch as he waited for Gibbs to get home from the case. Jimmy was sitting across the room, flipping through Sniper Monthly with a perplexed expression on his face. Gibbs quietly opened the front door and stepped into the living room, taking off his jacket and hanging it up. He smiled at Tony's peaceful face in the glow of the television and Jimmy's confused face buried in his magazine. Jimmy closed the magazine and stood up. Gibbs thanked him silently and walked him to the door. They whispered good-night and Gibbs locked the door. He sat down on the couch, pushing Tony's legs over a little. The younger man didn't wake up, just sighed and Gibbs pulled the blanket up over his good shoulder, smoothing it against his arm. The television was showing an infomercial about rotating meat and it was turned down too quiet to hear it. He assumed that Palmer had turned it down when Tony fell asleep.

Gibbs was trying to understand why Tony would push himself too far with a long walk when he didn't have the energy yet. The kid was pretty stubborn and didn't give himself enough time to heal. Hell, Tony came in a few weeks after having the plague when he still looked like crap. It was very Tony to not let himself heal. Gibbs needed to give Tony something to do. He spent too much time watching TV and laying around; there had to be another way to help him. The older man gently shook his good shoulder.

"Wake up Tony," he muttered.

"Can't… too tired."

"You shouldn't have walked so far."

Tony opened his eyes and groaned at the smile on his boss' face. He tried to pull the couch pillow over his face, but Gibbs took it away.

"Come on Tony."

"I can't…. my shoulder is killing me…"

Gibbs stepped into the kitchen and returned with a sandwich, glass of water, and his medicine. Tony slowly sat up and took the offered things. Gibbs helped him with the water, setting it on the table when he was done. He waited quietly as Tony ate the sandwich, not offering any condemnation or words of encouragement. They just sat in silence. Once Tony finished eating, Gibbs started to pull him up again and guided him down to the basement, walking beside him on the stairs in case he stumbled. He flipped on the light and moved the stool over to the side of the boat and gestured for Tony to take a seat. Gibbs dumped out a jar of nails and poured a small amount of bourbon on it. He moved the sawhorse next to Tony and took a seat. The older man handed him a piece of sandpaper and motioned towards the beam.

"I know what I did wrong," Tony stated, lifting a hand and beginning to rub it on the surface.

"What's that?" Gibbs mused, taking a sip and setting the jar on the floor.

"I shouldn't have taken a long walk. My body wasn't ready yet."

Gibbs nodded, taking Tony's hand and showing him how to correctly sand with the grain. He dropped his hand after a second and continued working on his part. He waited for Tony to continue.

"It's so frustrating that I can't walk around the block without needing someone to pick me up. I'm weak. Ducky keeps telling me that it will get better, but it's taking so long. My heart… was racing… and it was so wrong. I'm a federal agent with a heart problem and I can't even walk around the block. I suck."

Tony dropped his hand, letting the sandpaper fall to the floor and rubbing his shoulder. Gibbs didn't say anything at first.

"No, you don't. You are on the strongest young man I know. Tony, you have survived so much in your life and you still have a happy outlook. You have friends and family that love you. It's gonna get better," Gibbs comforted.

"How much longer is it gonna take to heal?" Tony asked.

"You've got a doctor appointment for your heart in a few days. Let's just take it slow."

"Okay."

Tony yawned, fighting the exhaustion and failing. Gibbs picked up the sandpaper and set it back on the workbench. The younger man watched his movements.

"Come on, bedtime."

"Aww… give more minutes Dad. I'm not that sleepy."

"Tony," Gibbs warned.

"There's this science fiction movie on in a few minutes, it's about aliens taking over your brain. You'd like it. I actually think that there might be this old-fashioned guy in it that you know…"

"Tony."

He sighed, giving up. It was too much after a long day. Tony let Gibbs help him stand up and guide him to the stairs, helping him up to the guest bedroom. He stepped into the bathroom to change as Gibbs turned down the bed for him. Tony emerged in a pair of flannel pajama pants and his sling, unable to pull a t-shirt over his head. He crawled into bed as Gibbs tucked the pillow under his arm to cushion it and help him sleep better.

"You need anything before I go to sleep?" the older man inquired.

"Nah, I'm good."

"You holler if you need anything…"

Tony dismissed it, looking away.

"I mean it, Tony. I hear you screaming at night. It's alright if you need someone to talk to."

He looked back at Gibbs and smiled. "Night Dad. Love you too."

"Good night Tony."

Gibbs turned off the light and stepped into the hallway, heading to his own bedroom. He changed into sweats and fell into bed, knowing that it would only be a few hours of sleep. Two hours later, he glanced over at the red numbers on the digital alarm clock. Gibbs could hear the sounds of Tony's nightmare from down the hall. He was restless and crying out. The older man rolled out of the bed and quickly walked down the hallway, opening the door to the guest room. The sheet was wrapped around Tony's chest and beads of sweat were on his forehead. He was taking short breaths and moving his injured arm, causing his face to distort in pain. Gibbs sat down on the side of the bed, gently touching his arm.

"Tony, you're okay," he murmured.

"No… please…"

"Tony, wake up."

Tony's eyes flew open and he bolted to a sitting position, crying out in pain at the movement. He collapsed back against the pillow as the throbbing radiated up his arm. It took every ounce of strength not to scream. Gibbs took his hand, letting him squeeze it tightly as he focused on breathing.

"Boss," he hissed. "Ice… I need some ice."

Gibbs released his hand and went down to the kitchen, returned with a bag of frozen peas and a hand washcloth. After wrapping the peas in the towel, he gently pressed it down on Tony's shoulder. It took a moment before Tony opened his eyes and saw that Gibbs looked extremely concerned.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," Tony apologized, moving the ice to cover a little more of his shoulder.

"Not a problem. You okay?"

"Yeah… I just moved my arm in my sleep and it startled me."

Gibbs dropped his head slightly. "You don't have to lie to me. Trust me."

Tony swallowed the lump forming in his throat, not sure how to proceed. "I thought I was gonna die. Harold… he wasn't gonna give you a chance to find me. At first, I knew that you were trying but the pain became too much and I felt sick. It wasn't enough. He was torturing me. My stomach hurt, my head, my arm and all l could think about was how you felt. You'd feel responsible." He paused. "But it's not your fault. It's mine."

"Tony, it's not your fault."

"No, it is," he interrupted. "That day, in the living room when Harold took me, it's my fault. As soon as you disappeared, Harold came in and took that ugly flower vase that one of your ex-wives gave you and hit Agent Grant on the head. He stabbed the needle into his arm and I froze. I couldn't move. A federal agent paralyzed by fear. I knew what he was capable of. I fought him, but I didn't have the strength and I gave up. He drugged me and dragged me from the room, throwing me into the back of his van. I thought that it was all over. I deserved it." Tony blinked a tear from eye and wiped it away. "When he was tying me to the chair in his basement, he whispered to me how easy it would be to kill me, easier than kidnapping me because I was weak."

"Agent Grant recovered. He was doing his job to protect you and you had just gotten home from having heart surgery. It's understandable that you didn't have the strength to fight."

"It's not that I didn't have the strength. I didn't have the will to fight him."

Gibbs forced Tony to look at him as he spoke.

"Don't ever say that. I saw you on that video, baiting Harold and stamping on his foot. You tried to escape, even though you were blindfolded and injured. That makes you strong. I am proud to think of you as my son."

He pulled Tony into a hug, fighting his own emotions as Tony relaxed into his embrace. Gibbs made Tony scoot over a little and he kept the younger man in his arms. They leaned back against the headboard as they drifted to sleep.

* * *

_Thanks for all of the amazing reviews! One more chapter remaining! I hope that you loved the beautiful father/son moments in this chapter. It was really great to write! It left me sad and all warm inside. :) Please review and let me know what you thought!_

_Emma_


	26. A little gift

**Chapter 26 – A little gift**

Tony fidgeted on the white crinkly paper. He was sitting in just his dress pants, waiting for the doctor to return with the results of his echocardiogram. Gibbs leaned against the wall, flipping through a pamphlet called "So you like greasy hamburgers". Tony looked down at the fading marks on his skin from his heart surgery and the catheter port that had drained the fluid from his heart. He could see the faint outline of his ribs from his recent weight loss and his stomach didn't seem as muscular anymore. It was just going to take time he reminded himself. The door to the sterile room opened and Doctor Wilson stepped inside.

"I have some good news for you," she announced.

"I'm not the father," Gibbs muttered so only Tony could hear.

Tony laughed, causing Doctor Wilson to frown before brushing it aside and continuing.

"I have the results of your echocardiogram and there's no damage to your pericardium and no sign of swelling. You're gonna be just fine, Tony. We will need to monitor you a little closer if you get sick, but I'm sure you are used to that from your bout with pneumonic plague."

"Yeah, that's normal…. Well, normal for me," Tony murmured. "But my heart is okay?"

"Yes, your heart healed quite nicely. You just need to let your collar bone finish healing and you'll have a clean bill of health. It was nice meeting you, Tony. Take care of yourself."

"Thanks Doc."

Doctor Wilson shook hands with Gibbs and left the two alone. Tony was grinning from ear to ear. Gibbs gave him a gentle smack on the back of his head and helped him back into his dress shirt. Tony managed to button most of his shirt, but let Gibbs help him a little. He put his sling back on and stood up. He walked silently to the car with Gibbs, unable to stop smiling at the good news. His heart was okay. It was like he could finally breathe easily again. Tony didn't even notice at first that Gibbs had driven to headquarters and was parked, waiting for Tony to focus.

"Are you ready for a half day of desk work?" Gibbs teased.

"Yes, I'm more than ready."

Tony felt a little nervous walking to the building and stepping into the elevator. It dinged, opening on their floor. Tony could see McGee standing by Ziva's desk and he could hear her laughing at something he was saying. Gibbs put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a little nudge out of the elevator. Tony glanced back at him, meaning to say something but someone crashed into him.

"Tony!" Abby exclaimed, running into him and giving him a bear hug.

"Abby… my shoulder," he grimaced, having not seen her coming or getting a chance to brace himself.

"Oh sorry. Tony, I'm so glad that you're back!"

"I missed you too Abby."

She quickly released him, and took his arm, guiding him into the bullpen. Ziva came over to him and gave him a gentle hug. Probie did the same, ignoring the funny look that Tony gave him. Gibbs didn't say a word, just went to his desk and sat down.

"It is good to see you," Ziva greeted. "How was your doctor appointment?"

"My heart is healthy and I got a clean bill of health," Tony declared, plopping down at his desk.

He quickly noticed that there were two presents on his desk. One was wrapped in a pristine blue paper, smooth and tied with a ribbon. The other was a little bit bigger, wrapped with uneven corners and a little too much tape. It was easy to tell which one Ziva wrapped and which one was from McGee. He picked up the messy box and shook it.

"That's from me," McGee stated.

"I can tell, McSloppy."

Tim rolled his eyes, waiting for Tony to open it. Tony ripped off the paper with his free hand, smiling at the large size box of strawberry yogurt Cheerios.

"For my heart?" Tony clarified.

"Look at the front of the box."

"Oh, complete with Spiderman stickers. Thanks Probie."

Tony grinned at his partner, setting down the box and picking up Ziva's present. He tore it open, revealing a pink swirly Tampon box. He frowned, glancing over and seeing the smile on Ziva's face. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony could see Gibbs biting down on his lip to keep from laughing and pretending to be interested in his computer, which was an obvious lie.

"Ziva, you do realize that men don't use these, right?" Tony inquired.

"Yes, your gift is inside the box."

"Oh, that makes more sense." He opened the box and pulled out a package of eight pairs of black socks. Tony laughed, smiling at his partner. "Is this incase I step in anymore puddles?"

Ziva nodded, laughing at his expression.

"Thanks Ziva. This is a really nice gift. You guys didn't have to do this for me."

"Now, your feet will be dry and your heart will be strong," McGee clarified. "You'd do the same for us."

"Alright, get to work," Gibbs ordered, flipping through the case file on his desk.

It felt good to be back. Tony turned on his computer, waiting for it to load. He checked his drawers to make sure that his Mighty Mouse stapler was still there, along with his GSM magazines and rubber band ball. Tony logged onto his computer, noticing immediately that someone had changed his desktop background from the picture of an exotic beach. It was a seemingly innocent cartoon. He looked a little closer and realized what it was. Tony glanced up and saw that McGee and Ziva couldn't stop smiling. Gibbs didn't seem to know what was happening. In the cartoon, Tony was sitting at his desk with a big pregnant belly and Gibbs was standing beside him with a goofy grin on his face. The caption next to Gibbs read, "I think we should name him Probie." There was a thinking bubble above Tony's head that said, "I shouldn't have listened. I'm not his type." A cartoon Ziva, McGee, Abby, Ducky and Palmer were standing off to the side laughing with their arms around each other. The entire cartoon was titled "Tony's Big Mistake".

"Who did this?" Tony demanded.

No one answered, just continued typing at their computers. Tony rolled his eyes and opened a new document on his computer, deciding to create a list of ideas for revenge on his team. Gibbs came up behind him and closed it, taking a long look at the image of himself.

"They didn't get my nose right."

"Did you know about this?" Tony accused.

"It was my idea," Gibbs stated simply. "You might wanna be a little more careful what you say when you're drugged."

He put a hand on Tony's shoulder before returning to his desk and getting back to work. Tony smiled, looking around at his teammates. He'd missed Ziva's way of thinking and her beauty. He'd missed McGee's computer knowledge and humor. And Gibbs, he would always be there for Tony, watching his six and making sure that his heart was protected. Gibbs was the heart of the team and he could trust him. It was good to be back.

**THE END**

* * *

_Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers! This is my longest story to date and it took quite a lot of work to write it, but I'm very happy with how it turned out. Without you guys, it probably would have been a lot shorter. A special thanks goes to __**Mysteryfan17**__ for your help correcting my mistakes and always leaving me long reviews! :) _

_I really wish that someone could draw that cartoon of the cast, but my drawing is limited to stick figures. I've got a couple other stories on my profile that you can read, since I'm not sure what my next story will be. I posted a Memorial Day story yesterday if you would like to read it. And I'm also working on a one-shot about Tony's lost turtlenecks. I'd also be willing to take a few challenges or requests to my private messaging inbox. :)  
_

_Thanks again to all of you and please leave a final review!_

_Emma_


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